The problem was identified Feb. 24, 2011 when the company discovered product under USDA retention had been shipped. On Feb. 23, 2011 FSIS personnel observed standing water with unidentified black specks pooling on the box lids of the packed chickens stored in a company cooler. The palletized boxes, which contain drainage holes, were retained by FSIS and should not have been shipped.

The products subject to recall include approx. 60-pound boxes of "New Market Poultry 2007, LLC, Eviscerated Poultry, For Further Processing Only, Some Parts Missing" bearing case code of "05412." Each box bears the establishment number "P-4602A" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The chicken products were produced on Feb. 23, 2011 and inadvertently shipped the same day to six distribution centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Farmington, N.Y.

FSIS has not received any consumer complaints or reports of illness at this time.

Source: FSIS

New York chef wins Allen Brothers’ Burger Bash

Twenty-seven of the country's hottest chefs and culinary stars get together once a year on the sandy beaches of South Beach, Miami to duke it out for burger domination. Burger Bash praises unique creations, unconventional combinations and deliciously obscure toppings on quality burger blends provided by Allen Brothers Steaks. This year's best burger-maker and winner of the Golden Grill Award is Chef Marc Murphy of New York City's Landmarc, who swept the competition with "The Big Marc." The juicy patty featured Allen Brothers USDA Prime Chuck on a homemade black pepper and cheddar bun with spiked ketchup and house-made pickles.

As Rachael Ray hosted, burgers were judged by a star-studded panel of culinary experts including: Kate Krader, Restaurant Editor, Food & Wine magazine; Chef Art Smith of Table 52 in Chicago; Suzy Buckley, Editor-in-Chief, Ocean Drive; Food Network Personality Alex Guarnaschelli; and renowned chef and restaurateur Todd English. Burgers were judged on taste, creativity, presentation and overall appearance.

"The Golden Grill Award is an important part of the overall Burger Bash experience as it allows us to show appreciation to top chefs who, like Allen Brothers, believe that to be the best, you have to use the finest ingredients – and to make the best burgers, you start with the highest quality USDA Prime beef from Allen Brothers," said Allen Brothers President Todd Hatoff.

In honor of his Golden Grill Award, Chef Murphy received an engraved Christofle platter, $2,500 of Allen Brothers products and a $1,000 donation on his behalf to the charity of his choice.

For the past four years, Allen Brothers Steaks has been a proud sponsor of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented by Food & Wine, which benefits the educational programs at Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Source: Allen Brothers

Cargill supports Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Cargill’s Wichita-based meat business joined many other area companies in contributing to the success of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition home build benefitting former Wichita State University All-America baseball player Carl Hall, who has been paralyzed from the neck down since a June 26, 2010 car accident in Kingman County. The show selected Hall and his family – wife Stacey and four children – to receive an all-new home that is wheelchair accessible throughout.

Cargill donated a variety of its Sterling Silver Premium Meats beef and pork cuts to stock the freezer in the Hall family’s new home, which was unveiled to them on Thursday, Feb. 24. To help the Hall family with preparing their selection of meats and further enjoy their new home, Cargill is also donating a grill.

“We at Cargill and the Sterling Silver brand are so proud to help the people at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as they deliver this wonderful new home to Carl Hall and his family,” said Ozlem Worpel, brand manager, Sterling Silver Premium Meats. “The show and its producers always do things right, and we wanted to make sure that not only the Halls but also all of the wonderful supporters of this project received the best premium meats to enjoy.”

The main course for VIP dinners at the build site on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 also featured Sterling Silver products. Lead construction companies, contractors, service providers, corporate donors, show production crew members, EMHE representatives, the show’s on-air talent, members of the Hall family and attending news media were among the VIPs dining on Sterling Silver ribeye steaks, pork chops, beef brisket and pork loin. Cargill, in cooperation with local Sterling Silver Premium Meats grocery retail partner, Dillons Food Stores, provided the meats and worked with a local caterer to prepare and serve it.

Source: Cargill

American Meat Science Association announces Pork 101

The American Meat Science Association in cooperation with the National Pork Board will host PORK 101 May 24-26, 2011 at Texas A&M University. PORK 101 attendees will learn about the value differences in swine, pork carcasses, pork primals and processed pork products from meat science faculty and AMSA members at Texas A&M University.

A hands-on course, it’s designed to give people the opportunity to participate in the selection, evaluation and fabrication of pork carcasses. They will also prepare and sample products from pork carcasses including pumped loins, bacon, hams and sausage.

The program features:

• Live Hog Grading and Evaluation

• Lean Value Pricing

• Quality Management at Slaughter

• Slaughter Floor HACCP

• Measuring Carcass Quality and Composition

• Process Control Testing

• Fresh Sausage Production

• Pork Carcass Fabrication

• Value Addition

• Consistency Improvement

• Enhanced Pork Production

• Curing Production

• Retail and Consumer Issues

To help minimize travel costs, the three day program will begin at 1:00 PM on May 24th so attendees can arrive in the morning. The course will conclude at noon on May 26th. For a course outline and to register for PORK 101 please visit: http://www.pork101.org.

For more information or questions regarding PORK 101 please contact Deidrea Mabry 1-800-517-AMSA ext. 12 or dmabry@meatscience.org.

Source: AMSA

87 pounds of buffalo chicken cheese dip recalled

J&J Distributing, a St. Paul, Minn., establishment, is recalling approximately 87 pounds of buffalo chicken cheese dip products because they contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is not declared on the label.

The products subject to recall include 16-ounce metal containers of "Cub Fresh Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip" and "Kowalski's Markets Place Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip." Each container bears the establishment number "P-38450" in the USDA mark of inspection.

The products were produced from February 16, 2011 to February 18, 2011, with sell by dates ranging from February 23, 2011 to February 25, 2011 and were shipped to retail establishments in the Minneapolis, Minn., metropolitan area. FSIS believes these products are most likely no longer on store shelves but is instructing consumers with sensitivity to MSG who may have purchased the products to discard them.

The problem was discovered during an in-plant inspection by FSIS personnel as part of label inspection and verification. FSIS has determined that the MSG was introduced into the product as a sub-ingredient of blue cheese dressing as a result of the company working with a new supplier. FSIS has received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Source: FSIS