Recalls happen to the best brands. Not every food production process is perfect, and mistakes get made. Luckily, the United States Department of Agriculture and its Food Safety and Inspection Service keeps tabs on all national recalls and distributes warnings in a timely manner. First there were frozen biscuits, then frozen ice cream bars on recall. Now, Saker ShopRites, Inc. is recalling about 19,757 pounds of pork and chicken empanadas, according to FSIS, for misbranding and the use of an undeclared allergen.
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The fully cooked pork and chicken empanadas were made between October 7, 2017 and February 12, 2018 at the N.J. establishment. The allergen is egg, which was not listed on the ingredient label for the products. Here is a list of the affected products subject to the recall, per the USDA announcement.
- 9-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of "3 pk CHICKEN EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned chicken" with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017 and Feb. 20, 2018.
- 6-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of "2 pk CHICKEN EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned chicken" with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017 and Feb. 20, 2018.
- 9-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of "3 pk PORK EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned pork" with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017 and Feb. 20, 2018
- 6-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of "2 pk PORK EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned pork" with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017 and Feb. 20, 2018.
The products being recalled have the establishment number "EST. 5495" or EST. P-5495" on the USDA mark of inspection label. These products were distributed to 29 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, along with the Dearborn Market, but no other states since Saker ShopRites is a Linden, New Jersey company. No adverse reactions have been reported, though this is not a voluntary recall.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service discovered the mislabeled products during a routine check, and consumers who have purchased these empanadas are urged to promptly throw them out or return them to the retail location of purchase. If you're concerned, feel free to call the customer line for Saker ShopRites, Inc. at 1-800-746-7748.
