Check Your Pantry: USDA Warns Against Eating Canned Chicken Sausages Sold in 5 States

Two varieties of Grace canned chicken sausages sold in five states are now the focus of a federal public health alert, and officials are urging shoppers to check their pantries.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued the alert on October 6 after finding that the products were illegally imported from Jamaica. Jamaica isn’t eligible to export meat or poultry products to the United States.

Which canned sausages are affected?

The warning covers two products:

Grace Ready to Eat Chicken Vienna Sausages, in 140-gram cans.
Grace Ready to Eat Chicken Vienna Sausages Hot & Spicy, in 140-gram cans.

Check the packaging for “EST. NO G-01” inside the Jamaica inspection mark.

The alert applies no matter what the product date says, so an expiration date won’t tell you whether your can is affected. The notice lists the product name, size and inspection marking as the identifying details.

Where were they sold?

The importer shipped the sausages to retail locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Texas.

The notice doesn’t name individual stores or retail chains. The Georgia Department of Agriculture also posted the warning, along with the affected product names and distribution states.

Why did USDA issue the warning?

FSIS found the problem during routine surveillance of imported products already in commerce. Officials said they are still investigating how the sausages entered the country.

Under USDA import requirements, any country that wants to export meat, poultry or egg products to the United States must show that its food safety inspection system gives protection equivalent to the U.S. system.

That doesn’t mean the program has to be identical, but an equivalence determination must be made before the products can be imported.

What should you do if you have a can?

Don’t eat the affected sausages. FSIS advises throwing them away or returning them to the place of purchase.

The agency has received no confirmed reports of illnesses or injuries tied to the products. Still, it is concerned that cans may remain in consumers’ pantries. Anyone worried about an illness or injury should contact a health care provider.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or email [email protected].