Huisken Meat Company recalls more than 89,500 pounds of Sam's Choice Black Angus Vidalia Onion items possibly contaminated with wood materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.
The affected products were produced between Nov. 19 and Dec. 9, 2015 and were shipped to retail stores nationwide. It generally affects the company's 2-pound boxes with by-use dates of May 17, May 29 and June 6, 2016 and establishment number of "EST.394A".
The foreign wood material came from an incoming ingredient and was discovered in the course of production. Consumers who have the meat products are urged not to consume them and instead, throw them away or return them to the store where they purchased the products.
"There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider," USDA said.
"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," it added.
Physical Hazards In Food
Physical hazards are foreign bodies unintentionally introduced to food during its production or processing. These physical hazards can contaminate a food product at any stage of production and companies should take appropriate measures to avoid physical hazards in food.
The most common physical hazards (PDF) in food are glass, metal, plastics, stones, wood and natural components of food. If any of these materials are present in the food product, a recall will be triggered.
Foreign Body And Its Effects On Health
Physical hazards cause illness, injury or pose health risks to consumers who accidentally ingested them.
The Food and Drug Administration considers a product adulterated if it contains a hard or sharp object that measures between 7 and 25 millimeters (0.28 and 0.98 inch). Also, if the foreign material is found in food that are ready-to-eat or require some preparation steps that would remove or neutralize the hazard before consumption.
USDA tweaked their policy in 1995, stating that bone particles less than 1 centimeter (0.39 inch) may not be harmful, but other particles other than bone may pose a potential hazard.
FDA Health Hazard Evaluation Board concluded that an estimated 56 percent of objects as little as 1 to 6 millimeters (0.04 to 0.24 inch) might pose a limited acute hazard.
These materials may be harmful to health if they cause cuts to the mouth, throat, gums and even damage to teeth. They are also hazardous if they cause injury to the intestines.
Factors Determining Potential Risk
There are many factors to consider when determining the potential risk of foreign objects such as the size of the object, type of consumer, type of product, and physical characteristics. The bigger the size of the object, the more risk if poses to the consumer.
If the object is smaller than the stated measurements, there is rarely any risk of trauma or serious injury except those in the high-risk group such as infants, patients who underwent surgery, the elderly and frail.
The type of product and physical characteristics may also affect its potential hazard to health. The products such as infant formulas or breast milk can increase the risk level. Also, the hardness, shape or sharpness of the object can also affect the risk level.
To prevent potential health hazards posed by foreign objects, companies should implement measures to make sure no foreign objects will be mixed with food products at any stage of production.
