The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued an alert this week after Whole Foods sold an undetermined amount of beef meatballs with marinara sauce that were misbranded and produced with an undeclared allergen.
Officials said that the recalled products contain parmesan cheese made from milk, which is a known allergen, and is not declared on the product label.
“FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure that consumers with allergic reactions to milk are aware that these products should not be consumed,” they stated. "A recall was not requested because it is believed that the affected products are no longer available to be directly purchased by retail consumers.”
The recalled items are 24-ounce clear plastic containers of “Whole Foods Market Beef Meatballs with Marinara” with a PLU code of 39496 and sell-by dates through Friday, Feb. 27, 2021.
According to FSIS, the problem was discovered when the firm notified the FDA of a customer report of an adverse reaction due to consumption of the product
Anyone with food allergies who bought the product is urged to not eat them and, instead, return them to Whole Foods or throw them away.
“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers,” the alert states. “Consumers with food allergies who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.”
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