Whole Foods/North Atlantic Kitchens, an Everett, Mass. establishment, is recalling approximately 73,898 pounds of pepperoni pizza products due to misbranding announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The product is labeled as containing uncured beef pepperoni. However, the pizzas contain uncured pork pepperoni, which is not declared on the product label. Some individuals have a sensitivity or intolerance to pork.
The fresh pizza items were produced Jan. 5, 2015, through Jan. 22, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:
• 10-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “WHOLE FOODS MARKETS, PIZZA, PEPPERONI, 8”.
• 19-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “WHOLE FOODS MARKETS, PIZZA, PEPPERONI, 12”.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 20234” inside the USDA mark of inspection and Sell-by dates of Jan. 12, 2015 through Jan. 30, 2016 printed on the packaging. These items were shipped for wholesale and retail sale in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
The problem was discovered by FSIS during a label review at the establishment and occurred as a result of a change in ingredient suppliers.
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.
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact the company at (512) 477-5566 ext. 20060 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday central standard time. Media with questions about the recall can contact Heather McCready via e-mail at: heather.mccready@wholefoods.com.
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.
