Local distributor of the recalled Del Monte Fiesta Corn, Toucan Industries has notified the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) that it has imported 204 cases of the product.
GA-FDD said that of this lot 150 cases have been distributed by the distributor and 54 have been placed on hold in its warehouse. In addition, 408 cases are currently in transit to Guyana, the distributor has informed.
According to the Food and Drug Director, Mr. Marlan Cole, the distributor has been instructed to notify the department of the arrival of the 408 cases. He said too that approval has been granted for the distributor to initiate a voluntary recall of the affected products. “All affected products will be destroyed under the supervision of this Department at the completion of the recall and detaining exercise,” said Cole, who added that, “Consumers are advised not to use this product with the identified UPC # or ‘Best if Used by Date” and to return it to the place of purchase.”
The potentially under-processed products are 15.25-ounce (432g) cans with the following UPC number printed on the label: 24000 02770. The item will also have one of the following “Best if Used By” dates stamped on the bottom of the can: August 14, 2021, August 15, 2021, August 16, 2021, Sept 3, 2021, Sept 4, 2021, Sept 5, 2021, Sept 6, 2021, Sept 22, 2021 and Sept 23, 2021.
Cole said that moves have been made by his Department to inform the public of the recall product which is due to under-processing which poses a life threatening risk to consumers.
More than 60,000 cases of Del Monte’s Fiesta Corn seasoned with red and green peppers are being recalled because the ingredients weren’t adequately processed, stated a release issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product was distributed in 25 states in the United and 12 international locations, including Guyana.
The other international locations the manufacturer of the product said in a release are: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, El Salvador, Haiti, Uruguay, Aruba, Panama, Saint Lucia and Suriname. US States included in the recall are: Alaska, Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
In its release, the manufacturer said that it has recalled 62, 242 cases of the Fiesta Corn as a precautionary measure since the product wasn’t processed correctly and thus could lead to deadly contamination.
Del Monte noted in its release too, “These deviations were part of the commercial sterilization process and could result in contamination by spoilage organisms or pathogens, which could lead to life-threatening illness if consumed. It is important to note that there have been no reports of illness associated with these products to date,” the manufacturer as asserted.
