Inspectors discovered a Texas company has been selling chicken that was not inspected but was illegally labeled as having been, thus prompting a recall of “an undetermined amount.”

The raw, frozen, whole chickens were produced by Pasture Raised Foods LLC and packaged under the brand Greener Pastures Chicken, according to a recall notice posted by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). There is very little information on the product labels for consumers or others to use to determine whether they have the recalled chickens in their possession.

The product photos posted with the recall notice do not appear to have any use-by or best-by dates. However, the labels to say the chicken was inspected, which federal officials dispute. The text on carton labels as well as individual chickens is as follows, without any editing:

“This product was prepared from inspected and passed meat and/or poultry. Some food products may contain bacteria that could cause illness of the product is mishandled or cooked improperly. For your protection, follow these safe handling instructions.”

Pasture Raised Foods produced the recalled chickens from Nov. 29, 2018, through May 24 this year, according to the FSIS notice. They vary in weight and are in vacuum sealed, clear plastic packaging. The whole chickens have had the heads and feet removed.

“The products do not bear an official USDA mark of inspection but were labeled with establishment number “USDA P-34438” on the product label without authorization. These items were shipped to retail, wholesale, and restaurant locations, and to individual households in Texas,” according to the FSIS recall notice. “The problem was discovered when FSIS inspection personnel identified products bearing an unapproved label with a USDA establishment number not consistent with the inspected product from that establishment.”

No illnesses or other adverse effects have been confirmed in relation to the recalled chicken. However, the FSIS urges consumers who have eaten or handled the chicken to monitor themselves for signs of foodborne illness and seek medical attention if they think they are sick.

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, the FSIS advised in the recall notice.

When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Cameron Molberg, co-CEO of Pasture Raised Foods LLC, at 202-642-5417.

By News Desk