A New York company has been forced to recall more than a ton of its ready-to-eat beef and cheese pie products because they weren’t federally inspected and could pose a food poisoning risk to consumers.
According to a release from the federal Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection service, the 2.375 pounds of Cantina Foods Beef and Cheese Pastellios did not benefit from a federal safety inspection. Food products get this review to ensure they’re free of potentially harmful food-borne pathogens that could cause food poisoning.
Cantina Foods is based in Buffalo, N.Y. The company has recalled all Beef and Cheese Pastellios products made and shipped between Oct. 3 and Nov. 20 of this year. These products were typically distributed to retail locations in the Buffalo area, though an exact radius on how far away from the city these products are shipped is not available. These products may have been available for individual sale at convenience stores and rest stop locations that have heat-and-serve kiosks.
There have been no illnesses linked to the consumption of these specific products from Cantina Foods. They are sold in cartons containing four clear, plastic bags with six, 4-ounce products in each bag.
This action was required by FSIS after an inspection of Cantina Foods’ processing facility in September of this year. Inspectors noted problems in the company’s methods of testing for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The agency ordered Cantina Foods to halt its operations until it could remedy these shortcomings.
In the meantime, FSIS worked to identify products that may have slipped through this flawed review system at Cantina Foods and thus, ordered the recall of the Beef and Cheese Pastellios this week. Products affected by the recall have no labels or marks of inspection on the bags or cartons.
Foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can pose serious health risks to anyone who consumes them, especially children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Listeria poisoning can cause serious reactions that could lead to hospitalization and even death. Recent outbreaks of Listeria poisoning in the U.S. have led to the death of dozens of people, including pregnancies that end in stillbirth or miscarriage.
