The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a recall for 10 tons of Demaiz pork and beef tamales a few days ago. The California company misbranded the products, as the USDA explained in a press release. The tamales contain an allergen the vendor did not list on the package. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) identified several variations of the pork and beef tamales that contain sesame. This ingredient can cause allergic reactions in some people. As a result, the agency categorized the Demaiz tamale recall as a Class II (low risk) recall. This is a “health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.”
Demaiz sold the misbranded tamale in late September and the first half of October in California. These are the kind of products that delis might serve. Therefore, some people might have inadvertently consumed them already. They should not pose a risk to customers who aren’t allergic to sesame. But the best course of action is throwing away or returning the unused stock. Those who routinely order tamales at California delis should also check with vendors to ensure that the tamales do not contain sesame.
The pork and beef tamale recall
FSIS explained that it observed sesame seeds being added to the tamale sauce during production. However, the product labels did not list the ingredient. As a result, this might be a serious issue for those allergic to sesame. Despite the large number of misbranded tamales sold, the agency says there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions so far. About 10 tons of tamales are impacted by the recall.
The agency also noted that consumers can order the Demaiz tamale products from delis, not just in supermarkets. That means you might also be at risk of consuming these pork and beef tamales outside your home.
Demaiz sells its tamale under the Mex-tamale Foods brand. The company produced the recalled pork and beef tamale items between September 20th and October 14th, 2021. In total, some 20,759 pounds of Demaiz pork and beef tamales sold in Northern California are part of the recall.
The worry is that some buyers might still have Demaiz tamales in storage, since they can be purchased and frozen. You should be on the lookout for these product labels to identify the recalled items.
Which tamale products were recalled?
The recalled Demaiz products bear establishment number “EST. 45434” inside the USDA mark of inspections. Four distinct bulk packages of pork and beef tamales are part of the recall. The tamales come in 6-oz or 8-oz versions, as follows:
- Bulk packages containing individually wrapped 6-oz pieces of fully cooked, not shelf stable of “MEX-TAMALES FOODS 6oz PORK TAMALES Wrapped In Inedible Corn Husk”
- Packages containing individually wrapped 6-oz pieces of heat treated, not fully cooked and not shelf stable of “MEX-TAMALES FOODS 6oz Beef TAMALES Wrapped In Inedible Corn Husk”
- Bulk packages containing individually wrapped 8-oz pieces of heat treated, not fully cooked and not shelf stable of “MEX-TAMALES FOODS 8oz PORK TAMALES Wrapped In Inedible Corn Husk”
- Packages containing individually wrapped 6-oz pieces of heat treated, not fully cooked, and not shelf stable of “MEX-TAMALES FOODS 6oz PORK TAMALES Wrapped In Inedible Corn Husk”
What you should do
If you have any Demaiz pork and/or beef tamales, you should avoid consuming or serving them. Moreover, you should throw them out or return them to the place where you bought them. If you are worried about illness after eating them, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Finally, the FSIS recall announcement is available at this link. Make sure you give it a full read as well.
More meat recalls
This isn’t the only USDA meat recall we’ve seen in recent months. Just last week, the USDA issued a massive recall on 10,000 pounds of pork products. 24,461 pounds of frozen raw lamb shoulder was also recalled last week, and you can read about it in our earlier coverage. It’s important to keep track of these recalls in order to keep yourself and your family safe.
The pork products include:
- Mac’s 3-oz. Original Porkskin, 12 count
- Mac’s 5-oz. Original Porkskin, 8 count
- Mac’s 5-oz. Jalapeño Porkskin, 8 count
- Mac’s 1.5-oz BBQ Skin Caddy, 2-7 count
- Cazo de Oro 8-oz. Hot Porkskin, 15 count
- Cazo de Oro 3.5-oz. Hot Porkskin, 24 count
- Cazo de Oro 5-lb. Sancocho, 1 count
- 7-Select 2.1-oz. Chili Lime Porkskin, 6 count
- 7-Select 2.1-oz. Original Porkskin, 6 count
- 7-Select 2.1-oz. BBQ Porkskin, 6 count
- 7-Select 2.1-oz. Hot Porkskin, 6 count
- Pamana 2.25-oz. Salt & Vinegar Porkskin, 12 count
- Turkey Creek 2-oz. Chili Lime Hole Punch Porkskin
- Turkey Creek 2-oz. Original Hole Punch Porkskin, 12 count
- Turkey Creek 4-oz. BBQ Porkskin, 12 count
- Turkey Creek 4-oz. Dill Pickle Porkskin, 12 count
- Turkey Creek 4-oz. Hot Porkskin, 12 count
- Turkey Creek 4-oz. Original Porkskin, 12 count
Other recalls
The FDA just recalled many onions that have been available due to possible salmonella contamination. There are red, yellow, and white onions involved in this recall. There are multiple meal kit companies that have had to recall onions as well. The onions that are recalled are:
- Green Giant red, yellow, and white onions (Potandon Produce LLC)
- EveryPlate Onions in Meal Kits
- HelloFresh Onions in Meal Kits
- MVP red, yellow, and white onions (Keeler Family Farms)
- ProSource Produce LLC whole raw red, yellow, white onions sold under the following brand names:
- Big Bull
- Peak Fresh Produce
- Sierra Madre
- Markon First Crop
- Markon Essentials
- Rio Blue
- ProSource
- Rio ValleySysco Imperial
