Aluminum found in meat shipped to Massachusetts, 5 other states

Battistoni Italian Specialty Meats, LLC, a Buffalo, N.Y. establishment, is recalling approximately 22,630 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) Genoa Salami and Capocollo products that may have been contaminated with foreign matter, specifically aluminum, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ready-to-eat (RTE) Salami and Capocollo items were produced on various dates from January 30, 2017 to August 21, 2017.  The following products are subject to recall:

• 18.9-lb. VACUUM-SEALED packages containing “Battistoni GENOA SALAMI WITH WINE,” with lot codes 31B and 05A. The products have “Sell by” dates of 2/21/18, 2/23/18, 2/27/18, 3/2/18 and 8/17/18.
• 15-lb. VACUUM-SEALED packages containing “Battistoni Hot Cooked Capocollo Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt Coated with Spices & Paprika,” with lot code 33D. The products have a “Sell by” date of 11/19/17.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 2706” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to foodservice establishments in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The problem was discovered on October 11, 2017, when the company notified FSIS of an incident where an aluminum clip was found in the product shipped to a retailer.  The issues were found during preparation and slicing of product at the retail level.  The product is a RTE product, and is generally sliced thin as a typical deli meat.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Anne Ashely, recall coordinator, at (716) 826-2700. Media with questions about the recall can contact Ric Bencini at (847) 877-8154.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.