Arkansas Firm Recalls Chicken Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2014 George's Inc., a Springdale, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 29,200 pounds of seasoned raw, chicken breast strips due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products are formulated with soy protein, a known allergen, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, the product was released with a label for George's boneless skinless breast pieces with rib meat, which does not declare soy or MSG on the label.

The products subject to recall bear the label:

• 40 lb. bulk cartons of iGEORGE'S BONELESS SKINLESS BREAST PIECES W/RIB MEAT” with case code 4790.

The products were produced and packaged from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23, 2013, and were sold to distributors in Tennessee and Iowa for further distribution. The recalled products bear the establishment number iP-13584” below the USDA Mark of Inspection and iPacked on” date in the format of imm/dd/yy” on the carton label.

The problem was discovered after the company received a customer complaint of incorrectly labeled product. The customer noticed that the product they received appeared to be seasoned, when it was labeled as being simply boneless, skinless breast pieces. The company's investigation found that the mislabeling occurred when the George's label was mistakenly applied to allergen containing products packaged nearby. FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

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.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Ali Perry at (479) 927-7256. Media with questions about the recall should contact Glen Balch at (479) 927-7105 or Dirk Lemmons at (479) 927-7106.

Consumers with food safety questions can iAsk Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. iAsk Karen” live chat services are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. 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 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.