Public Health Alert Issued For Meat, Poultry Products Imported From China

Authorities have issued a public health alert for meat and poultry products from China. They are deemed "ineligible" for import into the U.S.

The products in question don't have an eligible establishment number on the packaging and weren't presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for "import reinspection," the FSIS noted in its announcement.

The FSIS is the agency that's responsible for making sure all imported meat, poultry and egg products are "safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged." A part of its import certification checklist is to ensure that the products meet the same labeling requirements as goods produced domestically. Such imported products also have to undergo inspection by FSIS.

Because of the affected products' lack of the eligible establishment number and reinspection, they are considered to be "ineligible to import into the U.S., making them unfit for human consumption."

According to the agency, it learned about the problem through an investigation conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The investigation is ongoing, and a recall hasn't been issued since authorities still haven't identified or contacted the importers of the products. In addition, the total amount of affected product remains "undetermined."

The FSIS has provided a list of the products affected by the public health alert, along with photos of their labels and specific codes to look out for. These products include "Hao Wei Wu Foods Meat Pork Sausage Spicy Orange Box/Chinese Noodles (Sour )," "Master Kang Spicy Gravy Beef," "Xiu Wen Food Duck Family Pack" and "Fuding Ding Wei Foods Honey BBQ Wings" with certain UPC Codes or serial numbers.

As of the announcement date, there have been no reports of any adverse reactions related to the consumption of these products, the agency noted. That said, retailers who may have purchased these products are advised not to sell them. Consumers are also asked to avoid consuming the products and instead dispose of them in double bags to keep animals from getting access to them.