The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for eight corned beef and chicken spread products illegally imported from the Philippines. These products pose potential pathogen risks and have been distributed across nine states, including South Carolina.
The alert was issued on July 10th after routine FSIS surveillance activities at a retailer revealed the unauthorized meat and poultry products. These products, lacking proper production information, were found in restaurants and retail stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia.
FSIS has advised consumers and retailers to avoid consuming or selling these products, urging them to discard the items by double-bagging to prevent animals from accessing them. The USDA cannot confirm whether the products were properly heated to control pathogens that could endanger domestic livestock and poultry.
The following products are subject to the public health alert, regardless of the product date [view labels]:
- 150-g. can of “Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF.”
- 175-g. can of “Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF.”
- 260-g. can of “Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF.”
- 150-g. can of “PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF.”
- 210-g. can of “PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF.”
- 150-g. can of “CHUNKEE CORNED BEEF.”
- 190-g. can of “CHUNKEE CORNED BEEF.”
- 7.43-oz. jar of “Lady’s Choice Chicken Spread.”
These products are owned by three companies in the Philippines: Century Pacific Food Inc., San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc., and Unilever Philippines. FSIS continues to investigate how these products entered the U.S. without proper inspection and certification .
No adverse reactions have been reported yet, but anyone concerned about potential illness should contact a healthcare provider. For more details on this alert and to view the product labels, visit the FSIS website .
