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FSIS ISSUES PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT FOR MEAT AND POULTRY TAQUITOS AND CHIMICHANGAS CONTAINING FDA-REGULATED DICED GREEN CHILIES THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO POSSIBLE FOREIGN MATTER CONTAMINATION

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) beef and chicken taquitos and chimichangas products containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated diced green chilies that have been recalled by the producer, Sun Valley Foods, due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic. The hard plastic may pose a choking hazard or cause damage to teeth or gums. FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure that consumers are aware that these products, which bear the USDA mark of inspection, should not be consumed.

The frozen RTE meat and poultry taquitos and chimichangas items were produced by Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. establishments in Lampasas, Texas, and San Diego, California. The following products are subject to the public health alert:

• 19.2-oz. carton containing 16 pieces labeled as “Great Value Flour Chicken Taquitos Tortillas Stuffed with All White Chicken Meat & Monterey Jack Cheese” with a best if used by date of “11 JUL 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.

• 20-oz carton containing 20 pieces labeled as “CASA MAMITA BEEF TAQUITOS ROLLED IN CORN TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “26 JUN 2021” and “EST 5590” printed on the side panel.

• 22.5-oz carton containing 15 pieces labeled as “CASA MAMITA CHICKEN AND CHEESE TAQUITOS ROLLED IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “26 JUN 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel

• 15-oz. carton containing 15 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS CHICKEN AND CHEESE POLLO Y QUESO IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “08 JUL 2021” or “18 JUL 2021,” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.

• 20-oz. carton containing 20 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS BEEF CARNE DE RES IN CORN TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “08 JUL 2021” and “EST 5590” printed on the side panel.

• 22.5-oz carton containing 15 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS CHICKEN AND CHEESE POLLO Y QUESO IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “09 JUL 2021,” “14 JUL 2021” or “17 JUL 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.

• 55.5-oz carton containing 37 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ VALUE PACK TAQUITOS CHICKEN AND CHEESE POLLO Y QUESO IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best if used by date of “15 JUL 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.

• 60-oz. carton containing 60 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS BEEF CARNE DE RES IN CORN TORTILLAS” with a best if used by date of “9 JUL 2021” or “10 JUL 2021,” and “EST 5590” printed on the side panel.

• 5-oz. individual plastic bag containing “JOSÉ OLÉ CHIMICHANGAS LOADED BEEF NACHO” with a best by date of “15 JUL 2021” and “EST. 17417” printed on the label.

The products bear the establishment number “EST 5590,” “P5590” or “EST. 17417” printed on the packaging above the expiration date. These products were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered by Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. when they identified pieces of hard plastic in their production process and in a barrel of diced green chilies that was received from their ingredients supplier, Sun Valley Foods. Sun Valley Foods initiated a recall of the green chilies with the FDA. As more FDA information becomes available, FSIS will update this public health alert.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

 FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions can contact Willis Hwang, consumer affairs manager at Ajinomoto Foods, at (855) 742-5011. Media with questions about the public health alert can contact Paul Taylor, Ajinomoto Foods corporate attorney, at (909) 477-4800.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

Follow FSIS on Twitter at twitter.com/usdafoodsafety or in Spanish at: twitter.com/usdafoodsafe_es.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).