Larry's Custom Meats Inc. Recalls Beef Tongue Products That May Contain Specified Risk Materials

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2015 Larrys Custom Meats Inc., a Hartwick, N.Y. establishment, is recalling approximately 529 pounds of beef tongue products that may have been shipped with lingual tonsils still attached, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The beef tongue items were produced on various dates between October 23, 2014 and June 12, 2015. The following products are subject to recall: [ View Label (PDF Only)] 1 ´ lb. packages of Larrys Custom Meats Inc. Beef Tongue. The products subject to recall bear the establishment number EST. 40359 inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items produced were shipped to retail locations in New York and Pennsylvania. The problem was discovered during in-plant verification activities. Lingual tonsil, located at the back of the base of the tongue, is a small mound of lymphatic tissue which is considered specified risk materials (SRMs) and must be removed from cattle in accordance with FSIS regulations. SRMs are tissues that may contain the infective agent in cattle infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), as well as materials that are closely associated with these potentially infective tissues. Therefore, FSIS prohibits SRMs from use as human food to minimize potential human exposure to the BSE agent. FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. Consumers and media with questions about the recall can contact Lawrence Althis, at (607) 293-7927. 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 4 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 .