WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for frozen ready-to-eat pork mortadella products that may have been illegally imported from Ecuador, a country ineligible to export meat and poultry products to the United States. FSIS is continuing to investigate the origins of this product, and there may be additional products affected.
The following products subject to the public health alert are [view labels]:
- 1-lb. vacuum-sealed packages containing “Mortadela ESPECIAL BOLOGNIA.
The products subject to the public health alert do not bear an establishment number or the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail and distributor locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
The problem was discovered when FSIS was performing surveillance activities at a warehouse and found mortadella bologna products that did not have the USDA mark of inspection.
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’ freezers. 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.
Media and consumers with questions regarding the public health alert can contact Veronica Vasquez, firm President, Ecuatorianita Imports & Exports, LLC, at 732-309-0183 or ecuaimports1@hotmail.com.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) 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/.
