Nearly 19,000 pounds of sausage and sliced meat are being recalled because they contain more of a salt preservative than is allowed under federal regulations, the USDA announced Tuesday.
The recall impacts 16 different ready-to-eat meat products made by New York-based meat-packer Smith Packing, according to the recall notice. After receiving customer complaints that some of their sausages and sliced meats were off-color and off-taste, Smith Packing discovered that the products contained sodium nitrite levels that exceeded regulatory limits.
Ingesting high levels of sodium nitrite can lead to disruption of oxygen delivery throughout the body, resulting in serious medical issues and even death, according to the National Institute of Health. But so far, there have been no confirmed reports of people having adverse reactions to eating the recalled meats.
The recalled meats were marketed under the Smith Packing brand, as well as the brands Honest John, As-Salaam and Beefland USA, according to the recall notice. The products bear establishment number “EST. 4578” or “P-4578” and were shipped to institutional and retail locations in New York state.
The affected sausages and sliced meats were produced on various dates between Feb. 19 and April 24, according to the recall notice. A full list of the recalled products is available on the USDA’s website.
The USDA is concerned that institutions and consumers may still be keeping the recalled meats in their fridges and freezers. Any uneaten products affected by the recall should not be consumed and instead thrown away or returned to the store at which they were purchased.
Consumers with food safety questions are advised to call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.
