Poultry Products Recalled Due to Metal Shavings Generated by Ice Machine

A Mississippi establishment is recalling approximately 550,000 lbs of poultry products after metal shavings were found by one of their customers.  The manufacturing established reported that a faulty ice machine was to blame.  The product being large cases and combos, so this indicates the product was packed on ice.

The ice machine....that neglected piece of equipment.  Whether packing product on ice, adding ice as an ingredient to facilitate cooling, or adding to our beverage, ice is just as much as part of the process as the other ingredients used.  Ice machines have often been cited for high microbiological counts when the machines are not cleaned.  Here, a malfunctioning machine had metal-on-metal contact, probably in the ice chopper/flaker that generated the metal shavings.

In these cases, ice machines are part of the process and need to identified as a source for microbiological, physical, and probably even chemical hazards.  Good preventive maintenance and periodic quality checks should be included with regard to controlling metal as a physical hazard,

USDA Recall Notice
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/FSIS-Content/internet/main/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2015/recall-124-2015-release
Sanderson Farms Recalls Poultry Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I Recall 124-2015
Health Risk: High Sep 24, 2015
En Español

Congressional and Public Affairs  Katherine Scheidt   (202) 720-9113

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2015 – Sanderson Farms, a Hazlehurst, Miss. establishment, is recalling approximately 551,090 pounds of poultry products that may be contaminated with extraneous metal materials the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.