H.J. Heinz Co., a Muscatine, Iowa, establishment, initiated a recall on Nov. 19, of approximately 5,022 pounds of bistro au jus gravy product that is incorrectly labeled as pork gravy due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said.
The au jus gravy product contains milk and soy, known allergens, which are not declared on the incorrect labeling for pork gravy.
The au jus gravy labeled incorrectly as pork gravy was produced on June 4, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:
• 558 cases containing 12 – 12-oz. jars (per case) of “Heinz Homestyle Bistro Au Jus Gravy” that is mislabeled with Homestyle Pork Gravy labels with “Best By 12/28/2017 MU6F04” on the jar cap and “Case Best By 12/28/17 MU6F04” on the cases.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “M2041” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to a distributor and to retail locations nationwide.
The problem was discovered by the company on Nov. 17, 2016, after they were notified by a customer that a jar labeled as “Heinz Homestyle Pork Gravy” looked darker than expected. The company determined the mislabeling incident occurred on June 4, 2016, when a box of labels for the company’s “Heinz Homestyle Pork Gravy” product was brought to the processing line and used during the production and packaging of the au jus gravy.
When the company initiated the recall, it contacted all of the customers that may have received the mislabeled gravy product (including more than 1,000 retail stores) informing them to remove the products from their store shelves. The company also provided a press release about the incident and initiation of a voluntary recall of incorrectly labeled products to the Food and Drug Administration. FSIS was notified of the issue by a FDA representative on Nov. 21, 2016, and, out an abundance of caution, FSIS sent out a news release.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.