FSIS Public Health Alert 1-8-2025 Undeclared Allergen

FSIS ISSUES PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT FOR CHICKEN EMPANADA PRODUCTS
DUE TO MISBRANDING AND UNDECLARED ALLERGEN

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for frozen product labeled as Chicken Curry Empanadas due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The product labeled as Chicken Curry Empanadas may actually contain Apple Cinnamon Empanadas, which contain milk, a known allergen, that is not declared on the product label. FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers with allergies to milk are aware that this product should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

The frozen empanada products labeled as Chicken Curry Empanadas that may contain Apple Cinnamon Empanada products were produced on November 14, 2024, and packaged on November 20, 2024, and November 21, 2024. The following product is subject to the public health alert [view label]:

• 9.6-oz. cardboard packages labeled as “bettergoods TRADITIONALLY CRAFTED Chicken Curry Empanadas” with “BEST BY: 05/21/26” or “BEST BY: 05/22/26” and “EST. P33967” on the side of the box.

  
The products bear establishment number “P33967” on the side of the box. These items were shipped to Walmart locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered when the producing establishment notified FSIS that its distributor received four consumer complaints indicating that the apple cinnamon empanada product was packaged inside the chicken curry empanada retail packaging.

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.  

Members of the media and consumers with questions regarding the public health alert can contact Sanjiv Mody, President of Rajbhog Foods, at 551-222-4700 or sanjivmody@rajbhog.com.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.