Latest news with #MizkanAmerica
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Name Brand That Had To Recall More Than 216,000 Pounds Of Sauce Off Store Shelves
In a battle of store-bought pasta sauces, we found that Ragù brand sauce handily bested Prego, thanks to the former's savory taste, pleasing texture, and variety of flavors. Ragù, which was developed from an Italian family recipe and kicked off commercial production in 1946, is a grocery store staple that can save home chefs lots of time in the kitchen. Despite its long history of success, the brand has run into some issues the along the way. This includes a recall that took place in 2019 over concerns about plastic fragments found in select jars of Ragù. While many food recalls are initiated by customer complaints, a representative for Mizkan America (the parent company of Ragù as well as other brands like Bertolli and Nakano) told Consumer Reports awareness of the issue resulted from "[the company's] normal course of operations and quality checks." Three sauce varieties were affected by the recall, including Old World Style Meat, Old World Style Traditional, and Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion. Overall, 216,202 pounds of sauce (for a total of 9,130 cases) were involved in the recall. Thankfully, the incident was contained, as all affected products were manufactured between June 4 and June 8, 2019. No injuries were reported. Read more: 14 Canned Tomato Brands, Ranked Worst To Best As illustrated by the 15 most deadly recalled foods in U.S. history, bacteria like Listeria (responsible for the Boar's Head recall of 2024) and Salmonella (impacting multiple cantaloupe brands in 2023) are often a factor when it comes to consumer risks. However, the presence of foreign objects like glass, metal, or in the case of the 2019 Ragù recall, plastic, can also be highly problematic. Mizkan America never explained how the foreign object contamination happened, and it's not clear whether the company has ever specified the source. It is worth noting that the National Institutes of Health cites plastic contamination as a common cause of food recalls, as the material is estimated to be a factor in one of ten recalls occurring since 2003. As for the dangers of plastic in food, larger fragments can pose a choking risk or potentially cause internal injuries. While significantly less serious, plastic pieces can also cause dental issues and injuries if a person bites down on them. Plastic contamination doesn't typically rise to the level of a Class I FDA recall, the most serious classification and most likely to cause substantial health effects, but that doesn't mean these issues shouldn't be taken seriously. Fortunately for Ragù and its parent company, the 2019 recall was relatively minor. Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$156 million Mizkan America expansion breaks ground in Owensboro
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — A major expansion in Owensboro is bringing millions in investments and dozens of new jobs to the area. Governor Andy Beshear joined Mizkan America to break ground on the project. It's a $156 million investment, and Governor Andy Beshear says the company's decision to strengthen its commitment to Kentucky landed the state in the top ten leaders of economic development last year. Mizkan America, known for brands like Ragu and Bertolli, will soon include a 320-thousand square foot warehouse. It's located on Ragu Drive and will make room for 44 new jobs. GRADD hosting meetings to help laid off distillery employees Governor Beshear helped break ground on the facility. 'They're going to have more products that are here, which I think adds more security to the to the continuation of all these jobs. The expansions mean that the folks who work here have earned the faith of the management in Japan. They've shown that they're hard working and profitable,' says Governor Beshear. Officials say 1 million pasta jars of sauce are filled at the facility every day. The Japanese, family-owned company will also introduce the production of more vinegar-based products at the location, like cooking wine and asian sauces. 'Our founder used a by-product of sake to make vinegar which became a huge hit with sushi in japan. From these humble beginnings, Mizkan has grown to become a global food company…bringing flavor to life,' says Yuko Nakano ,the president of Mizkan Holdings. 220 years and nine generations later, Mizkan America's CEO says 50 percent of its products are made right in Owensboro. 'Owensboro, Kentucky is very, very important for business. 20 years ago, net sales surpassed $100 million.10 years ago, we [grew that] to $400 million. We finished the fiscal quarter at $1.1 billion,' says says Koichi Yuki, the CEO. Officials say more information will be shared soon about when the facility will be fully operational. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beshear breaks ground on $156M Owensboro project
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) – Governor Andy Beshear joined leaders of Mizkan America to break ground on the company's $156 million expansion project in Owensboro on Monday. The project is expected to create 44 new jobs. 'The tremendous growth we are seeing within Kentucky's manufacturing industry has been a crucial component of our surging economy,' said Beshear. 'Mizkan America's decision to reinvest in the commonwealth and our communities shows that our New Kentucky Home is the best place for business. I look forward to the company's continued success here in Kentucky.' Officials say the project includes an expansion of Mizkan's Owensboro facilities by approximately 320,000 square feet, bringing the company's operational space to nearly 1 million square feet. The investment will be used to support building improvements, new machinery and equipment, IT upgrades, a new manufacturing line and warehousing space to allow the company to manufacture Holland House, cooking wine, Mizkan Asian sauces and vinegar and Nakano rice vinegar at the Owensboro plant for the first time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
