Monday, June 20, 2016

Employee Faces Charges for Tampering After Company Recalls Product for Foreign Matter

A Minnesota firm is recalling 55,000 pounds of product for foreign material and announces that a company employee has been fired for product tampering.  The material, verified to be soil and sand, was found in some of the products.


Meating Place
http://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/66992?loginSuccess
GNP recalls chicken tampered with foreign matter, fires employee
By Michael Fielding on 6/20/2016
GNP Company's Cold Spring, Minn., plant is recalling 55,608 pounds of chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, including dirt and sand, and has fired an employee believed to be responsible for product tampering.

The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS that sand and black soil were found in some of its products. Both USDA and the company announced the recall and turned the case over to law enforcement.

"The affected product may be contaminated with extraneous foreign matter, and is linked to an isolated product tampering incident that occurred at the company’s Cold Spring processing plant the week of June 6. Law enforcement authorities are currently handling the case," the company said in a news release issued Sunday.

“This current recall was not caused by a breach in our food defense plan. It was the result of an individual who decided to break the law and tamper with the products we entrusted them to produce,” GNP further explained in a statement sent to Meatingplace on Sunday evening in response to a query. “The individual responsible has been identified, their employment terminated, and the case turned over to law enforcement. We are confident in the safety and wholesomeness of all of our products in distribution.”

A third-party lab verified the foreign matter to be benign, natural materials including dirt/sand. However, because the company cannot say with 100-percent certainty that the product is safe for consumption, the product recall is being classified as a USDA-FSIS Class 1 Product Recall, the company explained in the news release.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Just one of the 18 products recalled was sold in the retail meat case. The rest are bulk and custom items sold through foodservice and institutional outlets, the company said.


USDA News Release
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2016/recall-051-2016-release
GNP Company Recalls Chicken Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I Recall 051-2016
Health Risk: High Jun 18, 2016

Congressional and Public Affairs Katherine Scheidt (202) 720-9113 Press@fsis.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2016 – GNP Company, a Cold Spring, Minn. establishment, is recalling approximately 55,608 pounds of chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The chicken products were produced on various dates from June 6 to June 9, 2016. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)]
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN WINGETTES & DRUMMETTES 32900” with a use-by date of 6/18/2016 and 6/20/16.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump Chicken Tenders 34400” with a use-by date of 6/16/2016, 6/18/2016, and 6/19/2016
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST PORTIONS 24700” with a use-by date of 6/29/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS 20500” with a use-by date of 6/20/2016, 6/21/2016,and 6/22/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS 30800” with a use-by date of 6/20/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST PIECES 36400” with a use-by date of 6/22/16.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN THIGHS WITHOUT BACKS 37800” with a use-by date of 6/20/2016, 6/24/2016, and 6/26/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS 20800” with a use-by date of 6/18/2016 and 6/23/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump UNDER GRADE CHICKEN WING SEGMENTS 22900” with a use-by date of 6/17/2016, 6/19/2016, 6/20/2016, and 6/21/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN WINGS 31100” with a use-by date of 6/17/2016, 6/20/2016, and 6/21/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN LIVERS 31300” with a use-by date of 6/18/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Just BARE BONELESS SKINLESS WHOLE CHICKEN LEG 37200” with a use-by date of 6/22/2016, 6/23/2016, 6/24/2016, and 6/25/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN WHOLE LEGS 20700” with a use-by date of 6/20/16.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump CHICKEN GIZZARDS 31200” with a use-by date of 6/20/16 and 6/23/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump Chicken Wingette and Drummettes 33000” with a use-by date of 6/22/2016 and 6/24/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Gold’n Plump Chicken Tenders 34900” with a use-by date of 6/23/2016 and 6/25/2016.
24-lb. cases containing “Just BARE WHOLE CHICKEN 59405” with a use-by date of 6/26/2016.
40-lb. cases containing “Just BARE CLIPPED CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS 53200” with a use-by date of 6/18/2016 and 6/20/2016.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-322” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped for food service and retail distribution nationwide.

The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS that sand and black soil were found in some of their products. The source of the contamination is currently under investigation by the establishment and law enforcement.

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.

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.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are 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 at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Jane Kalthoff, Customer Representative Supervisor, at (800) 328-2838. Media with questions about the recall can contact Lexann Reischl, Corporate Relations Manager, at (320) 240-6290.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

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