Consumer complaint spurs recall of beef, pork meatballs for undeclared allergens

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Consumer complaint spurs recall of beef, pork meatballs for undeclared allergens
By News Desk on July 26, 2019


Home Market Foods Inc. of Norwood, MA, is recalling about 53,217 pounds of frozen ready-to-eat beef and pork meatballs because they contain milk and wheat ingredients that are not declared on the label, which is a violation of federal law.

According to the recall notice posted by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the frozen ready-to-eat beef and pork meatballs are considered misbranded under federal law because they contain milk and wheat ingredients but their labels do not declare milk or wheat, which are known allergens.

The frozen ready-to-eat pork and beef meatballs were produced and packaged on April 2, 2019 and can be identified by the following information:

• 48-oz. plastic bag packages of “COOKED PERFECT BRAND HOMESTYLE MEATBALLS All Natural” and Best If Used By “07/02/20.”

All of the recalled meatball products have the establishment number “EST. 2727” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection on their labels. These items were shipped to retail locations in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

There is concern that some of the recalled product may be in consumers’ freezers. Anyone who has purchased these products is urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

“The problem was discovered when the firm received a consumer complaint reporting that the product was incorrectly labeled,” the recall notice said.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions related to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling firms are notifying their customers of the recall and that actions are being 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.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Dawn Bourget of Home Market Foods, Inc. at 781-948-1559.

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