Latest news with #USDAFoodSafetyandInspectionService
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hormel Foods Recalls 256,000 Pounds Of Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Hormel Foods is recalling 256,000 pounds of canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew that could be contaminated with foreign objects—namely, wood. The contaminated beef stew was produced on February 4 and affects 20-ounce metal cans that were shipped to retailers nationwide. Cans are labeled with 'BEST BY FEB 2028.' Before you open a can of Dinty Moore stew and bite into those meaty chunks, you'd better check the label. Georgia-based Hormel Foods is recalling 256,000 pounds of canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew that could be contaminated with foreign objects—namely, wood. Three people have complained so far about finding pieces of wood in their beef stew, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The FSIS says the contaminated beef stew was produced on February 4 and affects 20-ounce metal cans that were shipped to retailers nationwide. While recalled products are pulled from store shelves, you could already have a can sitting in your pantry. To know if your cans of Dinty Moore are included in the recall, check the labels for the following: Cans are labeled with 'BEST BY FEB 2028.' The label will include the lot code 'T02045' (the lot code may have an additional number at the end). Also, check for establishment number 'EST 199G.' If you have a recalled can in your pantry, throw it out or return it to the store where you bought it. Fortunately, there haven't been any confirmed injuries from the contaminated beef stew. If you are concerned about an injury, contact your healthcare provider. You can contact the FSIS with any questions about food safety by calling 888-674-6854 or emailing MPHotline@ Complaints can be reported anytime at Read the original article on Southern Living
USA Today
6 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
How long can you leave chicken in the freezer? Plus tips on safe storage
How long can you leave chicken in the freezer? Plus tips on safe storage Show Caption Hide Caption Tips to help manage food recalls and prevent foodborne illnesses About 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 people die each year from preventable foodborne illnesses. Payton, USA TODAY If you're stocking up on chicken at the supermarket, popping it in the freezer is a great option to extend its shelf life. But if that chicken ends up sitting in your freezer for months on end, you might be wondering: How long can you actually leave it in there for? The good news: If chicken is stored correctly, it's perfectly safe to defrost, cook and eat, regardless of how long it's been left in the freezer. However, the longer it stays in there, you might notice a change in the quality of the meat. Here's what official recommendations say. How long can chicken be in the freezer? The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has released recommendations on how long you should store chicken in the freezer. The recommended time frames for freezing chicken are dependent on two factors: The cut of the chicken, and whether it is fresh or cooked, says Yaffi Lvova, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Banner Health. These guidelines are in reference to maintaining the quality and texture of the meat. As long as the chicken is stored in the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below, it's considered safe indefinitely, says Lvova. Here's what the USDA FSIS recommends: A whole fresh chicken: 1 year 1 year Fresh chicken parts: 9 months 9 months Leftover cooked chicken: 4 months 4 months Ground chicken: 3 to 4 months 3 to 4 months Deli-sliced chicken: 1 to 2 months If you defrost and cook the chicken beyond the recommended time frames, you might notice some pieces have become dry or mushy, or sense a change in the flavor profile. However, it's important to underscore that if the meat was stored, defrosted and cooked correctly, it is still perfectly safe to consume, Lvova says. How to store chicken in the freezer If the chicken is unopened, you should freeze it in its original packaging. If the fresh chicken is no longer in its original packaging, or you intend to freeze cooked chicken, Lvova recommends wrapping the meat in freezer paper, foil or plastic wrap (to help protect the quality of the meat), and then storing it in airtight, vacuum-sealed freezer bags. Oh, yeah: People are eating raw beef on TikTok. Here's why you shouldn't try it. How to defrost chicken the right way When you're ready to defrost the chicken, there's one thing you definitely don't want to do: Leave it on the counter to thaw. When meat is left out at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. To kill bacteria and mitigate your risk of foodborne infection, chicken should always be heated to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA FSIS. There's three ways to safely defrost chicken, per USDA FSIS recommendations. First, you could 'move (the chicken) from the freezer into the refrigerator, and leave it there until it's fully defrosted,' says Lvova. Leaving it in the refrigerator overnight usually does the trick, though if you are defrosting a whole chicken or larger cuts of meat, it could take one to two days. 'If you don't have that as an option, you can try the cold water method,' says Lvova. Submerge the airtight-packaged chicken in cold water (around 40 degrees Fahrenheit), and switch out the water every 30 minutes to ensure the meat stays cold, she says. Repeat until it has defrosted. Using the cold water method, a 3-to-4 pound whole chicken should take approximately two to three hours to defrost, per the USDA FSIS. Microwaving the chicken is your third option. If you choose this method, you'll need to be sure to cook the chicken immediately, because the meat could be partially cooked in the microwave. The risk? If the chicken is only partially cooked, bacteria could still be present. What is beef tallow? Everything you need to know about this buzzy seed oil substitute. How to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen Once your chicken is fully defrosted, you'll want to make sure no cross-contamination happens in your kitchen. Ideally, you'll want to prepare the chicken on a cutting board specifically designated for raw meat. 'If you're going to cut broccoli on top of a dirty cutting board, then all of your effort is wasted, and you are going to risk getting very sick,' Lvova says. If you don't have two cutting boards, once you're finished preparing the raw chicken, thoroughly clean your cutting board with soap and hot water on both sides, and use a separate knife. Then, clean the countertop with anti-bacterial spray before preparing any other foods, Lvova suggests.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The State With The Worst Track Record For Food Recalls, According To A New Study
Hungry for more lousy news in 2025? Sure you are! It's no secret that the U.S. has a lot of work to do towards minimizing food recalls. Now, a new study has broken down the figures by individual state, and it turns out that the state with the worst track record for recalls by population density is Vermont. The data comes from a new study by food safety data analytics firm FOSS IQX, based on more than a decades' worth of recalls in America (via OnFocus). FOSS IQX compiled USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service records by state from 2010 to 2024. During this 14-year span, Vermont clocked in as the state with the highest rate, 2.47 recalls per 100,000 residents. Vermont saw 16 total recalls during this time, with three occurring in both 2016 and 2019. When foodies hear the words "food recall," product contamination is likely the first culprit that jumps to mind. But, according to the study, the other top two issues spurring recalls over this period were unreported allergens and misbranding. In recent years, unreported allergens caused the recall of 80,000 pounds of butter, hundreds of thousands of pounds of pasta, and more; every recall further contributes to the global food waste epidemic, as well. Still, it's worth mentioning that Vermont's reportedly higher concentration of food recalls per 100,000 citizens is also reflective of the state's comparatively smaller population size than other, larger states with more residents (larger divisors for data). Read more: Here's What King Charles Typically Eats Every Day As of 2024, Vermont is the 49th most populous state in America with 647,818 residents (via World Population Review) -- far smaller than most-populous California's nearly 40 million residents. California put up a whopping 234 food recalls during the same period as Vermont's 16, a figure which ultimately shakes out smaller than Vermont when spread over the divisible of respective population densities. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most-populous California, Texas, and Florida were the bottom-three states in FOSS IQX's study, demonstrating the lowest number of food safety recalls per 100,000 citizens. On the flip side, Vermont, Wyoming (2.23), and Rhode Island (2.19) ranked as the top-three culprits, all three among the least-densely populated states in the country. These population sizes reflect a possible confounding variable skewing real or perceived severity. Exacerbated figures not pertaining to a specific state might also be racked-up by mass food recalls linked to nationwide distributors, such as Walmart and the recent Boar's Head listeria outbreak. Moving forward, FOSS IQX spokesperson Janick Elleholm Jensen maintains that increasing preventive controls and product knowledge are the best ways to lower recall figures. "To handle food safely, a company needs to be better aware of their main challenges," says Jensen, via OnFocus. "Especially many smaller companies lack access to knowledge about what can go wrong. Is the food that they are producing prone to specific types of bacteria?" Read the original article on Tasting Table.
