WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for heat-treated, not fully cooked, not shelf stable, spaghetti and meatballs in marinara sauce products due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous material, specifically metal. FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure that consumers are aware that these products should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because it is believed that the products are no longer available for consumers to purchase.
The meatball items were produced on Oct. 1, 2020, and then utilized in the production of spaghetti and meatball in marinara sauce product from Oct. 17, 2020 through Nov. 1, 2020. The following products subject to the public health alert are: [View Label (PDF only)]
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15.5-oz. plastic containers of “TAKE HOME MEALS SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE” with “10/17/20 - 11/1/20” packaging dates and an “EXP DATE 10/25/20 - 11/9/20” on the products labels.
The products bear establishment number “EST. 20852” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The problem was discovered when the firm received consumer complaints reporting findings of metal embedded in meatballs in Kwik Trips, Inc., Spaghetti and Meatball in Marinara Sauce product. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
