Khong Guan Corporation, of Union City, California, has issued a recall for about 2,858 pounds of <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/food_poisoning">chicken drink products because they were, among other issues, ineligible for import into the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The Khong Guan chicken drink products do not meet poultry products inspection or poultry exemption requirements. Most particularly, said the USDA’s FSIS, it could not be determined that the poultry ingredients used in the chicken drink products were prepared under inspection, which is mandated under federal regulations or under a foreign inspection system that is determined to be equivalent to the FSIS. The FSIS explained that the poultry ingredient is determined to be ineligible when the source of the ingredients cannot be determined, as was the case with these products.
The problem was discovered after the USDA’s FSIS identified a shipment of products containing poultry, which had been imported from an unapproved source. The chicken drink products were distributed to retail establishments nationwide. To date, the FSIS has received no reports of illness as a result of consuming this product, which includes the following recalled chicken drink items, which are produced in packages containing six 2.3 fluid ounce bottles:
* “BRAND’S Essence of Chicken Drink”
* “BRAND’S Essence of Chicken Drink, with Cordyceps Extract”
* “BRAND’S Essence of Chicken Drink, with 4 Herbs”
* “BRAND’S Essence of Chicken Drink, with Lingzhi”
* “BRAND’S Essence of Chicken Drink, with Ginseng”
According to the BRAND’s Website, it sells health and wellness products and describes its Essence of Chicken Drinks as being “an all-natural, ready-to-drink health food supplement.†Specific information on country-of-origin for BRAND’S products was not outlined; however, some Essence of Chicken products appear to have been manufactured in Malaysia.
The USDA’s FSIS categorized the BRAND’s Essence of Chicken Drink recall as a Class II recall, which means that there exists a remote possibility of adverse health effects from use or consumption of the recalled product. Also, the USDA’s FSIS explained that it works with other federal agencies to ensure the safety of imported meat, poultry, and processed egg products. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issues import permits based on animal health considerations, specific to a country or region; and Customs and Border Protection provides oversight on all products entering the U.S.
The USDA’s FSIS is advising consumers with questions about the recall to contact the Khong Guan Corporation’s company Marketing Manager, Deborah Heng, at (510) 487-7800 extension 105. Also, consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative, which is available 24 hours daily at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) and is available in English and Spanish from l0:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are also available 24 hours a day.
