San Gennaro Foods Recalls Polenta Due to Non-Approved Ink Contact
San Gennaro Foods is recalling multiple brands of polenta because date coding ink was printed directly on the food contact surface of the packaging.
The agency’s classification
FDA (Food): Class III
Class III is a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 2/5 (Moderate).
Minor labeling or packaging issue, or a voluntary precautionary recall. Risk of harm is low but real — follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Our severity reasoning: The recall is classified as FDA Class III, which indicates a remote probability of adverse health consequences. The hazard involves non-approved ink contacting food, which is a labeling/packaging defect rather than a high-risk pathogen or structural defect.
Plain-English summary
San Gennaro Foods, Inc. is recalling several brands of Traditional Organic Polenta, including Ancient Harvest, Italissima, Frieda's, and Zerto. The recall involves pre-cooked, ready-to-heat polenta products in various package sizes. The specific issue is that date coding ink was printed directly on the food contact surface of the packaging, allowing the ink to be in direct contact with the product. The ink used is not approved for food use.
The affected products were distributed in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Canada. Specific case quantities and lot codes are available for each brand in the official recall documentation.
Consumers who have purchased these products should check their packages for the specific brand, UPC, and code numbers listed in the official recall notice. If the product matches the description, consumers should stop using it and follow the instructions provided by the recalling firm or the FDA for disposal or return.
The recalled product
- Product
- Traditional Organic Polenta, Ancient Harvest brand, Pre-cooked ready-to-heat, 12/18 oz packages UPC#6-59201-10201-5 Traditional Organic Polenta, Italissima brand, Ready to heat and serve, 12/24 oz packages UPC# 7-78518-00760-5 Traditional Organic Polenta, Frieda's brand…
- Manufacturer
- San Gennaro Foods, Inc
- Category
- Food — Grains / Polenta
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Lot numbers (20)
- Ancient Harvest codes: 010918
- 011118
- 011518
- 011618
- 011818
- 012218
- 012918
- 013018
- 020118
- 020518
- 020718
- 020618
- 021218
- 021318
- 022818
- 030118
- 032818
- 032918
- 041118
- 041218
Distribution
Part of a larger recall action
This product is one of 14 recalled by San Gennaro Foods, Inc under a single FDA (Food) recall action. The agency files each product separately, so the size of the action is not visible from this page alone.
See all 14 products in this recall →Related recalls
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