Health Alert Issued For Whole Foods Market's Beef Meatball Products

(RTTNews) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service or FSIS has issued a public health alert for certain beef meatball products by Whole Foods Market, Inc. due to misbranding and undeclared milk, a known allergen.

As per the warning, Amazon's Whole Foods Market sold an undetermined amount of beef meatballs with marinara sauce that were misbranded. In addition, the products contain parmesan cheese made from milk, which is not declared on the product label.

The beef meatballs products subject to the health alert include 24-oz. clear plastic containers of "Whole Foods Market Beef Meatballs with Marinara" with a PLU code of 39496 and sell-by dates through 2/27/21.

The product was sold in retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The agency said a recall was not requested because the affected products are no longer available for purchase. However, FSIS is concerned that the affected beef meatball products may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.

The alert was issued after the company notified FDA of a customer report of an adverse reaction due to consumption of the product.

Consumers with food allergies who have purchased these products are urged to throw them away or return to the place of purchase.

In early February, the FSIS issued a health alert for raw beef product by Greater Omaha Packing Co. for potential contamination with E. coli. O157:H7.

In January, health alert was issued for ready-to-eat or RTE beef jerky products for the possible presence of undeclared anchovies, a known allergen, and for around 43 pounds of not-ready-to-eat or NRTE, heat treated, not fully cooked chicken enchilada products for misbranding and the presence of undeclared soy, an allergen.