WASHINGTON – Bunge’s Meats, a Catawissa, Penn. establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of pork sausage products that were produced with water that did not meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water standards, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The various pork sausage items were produced between Feb. 24, 2016 and Sept. 15, 2016.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 21603” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to restaurants in Pennsylvania.
The problem was discovered on September 15, 2016, while an Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officer (EIAO) was reviewing records during a Food Safety Assessment (FSA). The EIAO observed that results from the establishment’s third party testing laboratory indicated that water samples collected at the establishment on Feb. 24 and Sept. 9, 2016 were positive for Coliform bacteria. The water is used in the formulation of the pork sausage products.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare 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.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Consumers and media with questions about the recall can contact Robert Bunge, Owner, at (570) 317-6702.
Source: USDA FSIS
