Nearly 2,000 pounds of wieners have been recalled due to containing undeclared pork and soy, with customers warned to throw away any products they have bought.
Some 1,944 pounds of ready-to-eat hot dog products produced by the Michigan-based Dearborn Sausage Company have been recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), after product labels were mistakenly swapped.
The recalled products were produced on August 7, 2024, and shipped to Ohio.
"The establishment determined that they inadvertently mislabeled beef wiener products as beef and pork wiener products and vice versa. The products labeled as beef and pork wiener products actually contain beef wiener products that contain soy; therefore, soy is not declared on the finished product label," the USDA explained in a statement. "Additionally, the product labeled as beef wiener products actually contain beef and pork wiener products, therefore, pork is not declared on the finished product label."
The recalled products came within 2-pound vacuum-sealed packages of "Brookside brand fully cooked natural casing beef wieners" (possibly containing the undeclared pork) and "Brookside brand natural casing fully cooked wieners" (containing the undeclared soy). The products were marked with the establishment number "EST. 10002" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
"FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' and retailers' refrigerators and/or freezers. 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," the USDA said.
Newsweek has contacted the Dearborn Sausage Company for comment.
This recall is a USDA Class I recall, which is considered high or medium risk.
"This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death," the USDA said.
The other USDA recall classifications include Class II or low risk, which is put into place when "there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product," and Class III or marginal risk, where "the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences or the risk is negligible."
Soy is an allergen, and must therefore be declared on product labels to avoid consumers having an allergic reaction. Soy allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe and may appear shortly after consuming soy or soy-containing products. Common symptoms include skin reactions like hives and eczema, digestive issues including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain, and respiratory problems such as wheezing and shortness of breath.
In rare cases, soy allergy can cause a severe, life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis, which can include difficulty breathing, a rapid drop in blood pressure, or loss of consciousness.
No illnesses have been reported as a result of the recalled products.
"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," the USDA said.
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