HOW DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN?! ARE WE UNDERSTAFFED AT THE PORTS? OR... IS THERE NO REAL STANDARD FOR CHECKING SHIPMENTS?
"WASHINGTON, July 10, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were illegally imported from the Philippines. The Philippines is a country not eligible to export meat and poultry products to the United States. FSIS is continuing to investigate how these products entered the country."
The problem was discovered when FSIS was performing routine surveillance activities at a retailer and found meat and poultry products from the Philippines that are not eligible to be exported to the U.S.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' and restaurants' pantries and on retailers' shelves. Retailers who have purchased the products are urged not to sell them. Consumers and restaurants who have purchased these products are urged not to consume or serve them. Consumers are asked to double bag the product when discarding it to reduce the possibility of animals accessing the product because USDA cannot confirm whether the products were properly heated to control pathogens of concern to domestic livestock and poultry.