USDA Issues Nationwide Bologna Recall
On Friday, June 27th, the USDA and Gaiser's European Style Provisions Inc. issued a recall for 143,416 pounds of deli meats, specifically bologna products. In their official statement, the USDA noted that they were being removed from stores since they may "contain meat or poultry source materials that are not declared on the product labels."
The misbranding issue has affected not only over 100,000 pounds of meat, but several different variations produced by Gaiser's European Style Provisions Inc., which is located in Union, New Jersey. The products include several different flavors and styles of bologna, including FAMILY TREE BOLOGNA VEAL, BABUSHKA'S RECIPE CHICKEN BOLOGNA, and GAISERS TURKEY BOLOGNA.
The misbranding issue has to do with there being different types of meat in the bologna products that were not included on the packaging. For instance, the veal-based bologna contains pork that was not listed, as well as the chicken bologna.
What To Do If You've Purchased Recalled Bologna Products
For now, the USDA has listed this as a Class III recall, which means it "involves a situation where use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences, or the risk is negligible." This is lucky, as it means that if you were to eat one of these products, you would likely not face any illness or negative effects on your health.
However, those who have sensitivity or allergies to any of the undeclared meats may be at risk, which is why it's essential to double-check that you're not consuming the specifically recalled products. They were shipped out nationwide, and to be safe, consumers should double-check the USDA statement and announcement for more details.
Additionally, anyone with dietary restrictions that prohibit them from eating pork or other types of meat should use caution and discard their bologna products if there's a chance they are included in the recall. Other than that, the issue should hopefully pass without any health and safety-related incidents.