The recalled product.
PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA Inspectorate issued an alert in connection with the recall of chicken with fried rice products of the brand Ajinomoto Foods North America.
In a press release on Thursday the Inspectorate said these products are possibly contaminated with foreign matter, specifically pieces of plastic, but the health risk is low.
The “not ready to eat” frozen chicken with fried rice items were produced from July 9 to 11 this year with various packaging and “best by” dates, the release said.
The Inspectorate announced that the Ajinomoto yakitori chicken with Japanese-style fried rice packaged in 54-ounce cardboard packages is subject to recall. The date codes for the recalled item are 3559007, 3559008, 3559015, 3559190 and 3559191 with best by dates of January 7, January 8, January 15, July 9 or July 10, 2020.
The Inspectorate said the products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-34708” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Each package holds six 9-ounce microwavable bags of mixed rice, vegetables and chicken.
The recalled items were shipped to retail locations in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Texas. The problem was discovered after the firm received consumer complaints and notified the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the issue, the release said.
Investigation has shown that some of these products have also been exported to St. Maarten.
The Inspectorate said there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. FSIS has received no additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
A concern is that some product may be in consumers’ freezers, the release said. The Inspectorate urges consumers who have purchased these products to not consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
The Inspectorate is in close contact with the USDA FSIS and is monitoring the developments. The local importer has been informed and the necessary spot checks are being carried out.
