The USDA recalled 6,900 pounds of hot dogs after discovering that they did not undergo federal inspection.
On Monday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a notice recalling nearly 7,000 pounds of hot dogs when Kentucky-based meat house AW Farms found they were “produced without the benefit of federal inspection.” The recall of the summer classic affected restaurants and hotels in Ohio and West Virginia that received the hot dogs on or after May 30, which reportedly have a shelf life of 45 days.
At the time, a public health partner of the state reported the discovery to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency responsible for inspecting all commercially sold meats. The agency stated that under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), all meat sold commercially must pass an inspection to ensure that it is “safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.” After an investigation, officials confirmed the hot dogs were produced and distributed without a federal inspection, and needed to be recalled.
Consumers can identify the recalled products by their establishment number “EST. 47635,” located inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products included 10-pound boxes containing two 5-pound vacuum-sealed packages of hot dogs marked with “French City Foods,” two 5-pound packages of “Pork, beef, dextrose, salt, sugar maple GEO Broan all meat hot dogs,” and containing two 5-pound packages of “GEO Brown all beef hot dogs.”
The FSIS has expressed concerns that the recalled products may still be in the refrigerators or freezers of restaurants or hotels. The organization recommends that businesses with the recalled products should either not serve them, and either throw them away or return them.
Although there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions caused by hot dog consumption, the USDA cautions those concerned after potentially eating one of the recalled hot dogs to contact a healthcare provider for guidance.