Tainted cumin leads to recall of 33,000 pounds of Whole Foods RTE products

Whole Foods Markets, Inc. is recalling approximately 33,191 pounds of ready to eat products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced. The product contains peanut, a known allergen which is not declared on the product label.

The following products are subject to recall:

16 lb bulk containers of “CHILI, TURKEY AND BLACK BEAN” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
16 lb bulk containers of “CHILI, BRAISED BEEF” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15
24 oz packages of “CHICKEN CHILI BURRITO” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
24 oz packages of “PORK CARNITAS BURRITO” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
24 oz packages of “GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST QUESADILLA” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
10 lb bulk containers of “CHICKEN CHILI VERDE” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
10 lb bulk container of “PORK CARNITAS” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
1.5 lb packages of “CHILI, TURKEY & BLACK BEAN” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
1.5 lb packages of “CHILI, BRAISED BEEF” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
23 oz packages of “BLAZIN’ BEEF CHILI” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.
10 lb bulk containers of “Beef for Barbacoa (Beef and Onions in Spicy Sauce)” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15

The items were produced on various dates from January 14, 2015 through February 5, 2015. The products bear the establishment number “20234” and “18768” inside the USDA mark of inspection and have the sell by date printed on the product label. The products were shipped to retail outlets in Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

The problem was discovered when a Whole Foods manufacturing plant was notified by its spice supplier that cumin used in the chili may have been contaminated with peanut allergens. There have been more than two dozen similar recalls over the past two months due to contaminated cumin.

FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Source: FSIS