Last week DeNunzio's Sausage recalled 36,388 pounds of Polish Kielbasa, and John Soules Foods recalled 8,496 pounds of cooked chicken strips. Both recalls were based on the food manufacturers' failure to disclose known food allergens on their labels. Normally, this site reports or links to the retail stores that received the recalled products so that consumers can be aware of possible dangers.
A new policy by the USDA will prevent this blog and others from revealing the names of the retail stores that received the recalled meats. The policy precludes the USDA from revealing retail consignees by designating the recalls as Class II recalls. Earlier this year, the USDA classified the massive recall of downer cows as a Class II recall.
This flaw in reporting requirements is not unintentional. It is part of the design of the Bush administration to enable industries to self-police and regulate their own bad acts. The consumer suffers and industry gets to continue to limit information about recalled products.
To anyone with a food allergy unlucky enough to have purchased a product recalled for an undeclared allergen, the recall was not low-risk at all. All Class I and Class II (to the extent they exist at all) recalls should have a mandatory requirement that all retail recipients of recalled products be revealed.
