BREAKING NEWS: POULTRY GIBLETS RECALLED FROM ALABAMA BUSINESS

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 14, 2008

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2008 – Cagle’s Inc., a Collinsville, Ala., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 943,000 pounds of various fresh and frozen poultry giblets and fresh carcasses with giblets inserted that may be adulterated due to improper disposition of the giblets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Although carcasses were condemned, FSIS could not verify that the associated viscera, including the giblets, were condemned and diverted for inedible purposes, and they are therefore adulterated.

The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels, PDF Only]

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* 13-lb. bulk packages of “Cagle’s MRB BREADED GIZZARDS.” Each label bears a product code of “49113.”

* Bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKEN GIZZARDS.” Each label bears a product code of “61913,” “61914” or “61915.”

* 50-lb. bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKEN LIVERS.” Each label bears a product code of “62150.”

* Bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKEN LIVERS.” Each label bears a product code of “62921,” “62924” or “62931.”

* 13-lb. bulk packages of “OUR PREMIUM DELI PRE-BREADED CHICKEN LIVERS.” Each label bears a product code of “12210.”

* 13-lb. bulk packages of “OUR PREMIUM DELI PRE-BREADED CHICKEN GIZZARDS.” Each label bears a product code of “21210.”

* 40-lb. bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKEN HEARTS.” Each label bears a product code of “69934” or “69938.”

* 33-lb. bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKEN SKINLESS NECKS.” Each label bears a product code of “63191.”

* 33-lb. bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKEN SKINLESS NECKS.” Each label bears a product code of “63005.”

* Bulk packages of “Cagle’s FRYING CHICKENS WITH SKINLESS NECKS.” Each label bears a product code of “39003.”

Each shipping package bears the establishment number “P-548” inside the USDA mark of inspection, however these products were repackaged for consumer sale and will therefore not include the establishment’s number.

The products were produced on various dates between Dec. 3, 2007 and March 12, 2008, and were distributed to institutions and restaurants nationwide.

The problem was discovered through FSIS inspection. In November 2007, the plant installed new evisceration sorting equipment which changed the previous practice of condemning all viscera. FSIS has been unable to confirm that the plant had properly sorted or disposed of viscera from condemned carcasses and therefore some of the inspected and passed products may have been commingled with viscera from condemned carcasses. FSIS has received no reports of illness at this time.

Media and consumers with questions about the recall should contact company the Executive Vice President Mark Ham at (404) 355-2820.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at 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 9 a.m. to

3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.