The Recall Desk
Agency classPublic Health AlertOur severity:HighUSDA FSIS·PHA-06122024-01·Announced 2024-06-12

USDA Issues Public Health Alert for Farmstead Bacon Due to Sodium Nitrite Levels

USDA FSIS issued a public health alert for specific Farmstead Butcher Block pork and beef bacon products because sodium nitrite levels exceeded regulatory limits. No illnesses have been reported.

The agency’s classification

USDA FSIS: Public Health Alert

Public Health Alert is a warning FSIS issues when there is a food-safety concern but a recall is not requested, typically because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

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 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a restricted ingredient (sodium nitrite) exceeding regulatory limits in not-ready-to-eat products, which poses a risk of harm, but the source explicitly states that no illnesses or injuries have been reported.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on June 12, 2024, for not-ready-to-eat pork and beef bacon products produced by Farmstead Butcher Block LLC. The alert was issued because the products contained levels of sodium nitrite, a restricted ingredient, that exceeded the regulatory limit. FSIS discovered the issue during routine inspection activities. A formal recall was not requested because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

The affected items include various packages of smoked pork and beef bacon sold by weight at retail counters and in approximately 1-pound packages. These products were produced between April 12, 2024, and May 31, 2024. Some items bear the establishment number EST. 47852 and were shipped to farmers markets and farm stores in Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as sold directly to consumers. Other items were sold by weight at the Farmstead Butcher Block retail counter. Some products were produced under a custom exemption and do not bear the USDA mark of inspection.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products. Consumers who have purchased these items are urged not to consume them. The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.

The recalled product

Product
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Not-Ready-To-Eat Pork And Beef Bacon Products Due to Sodium Nitrite Levels in Excess of Regulatory Limit
Brand
Farmstead Butcher Block LLC
Manufacturer
Farmstead Butcher Block LLC
Category
Food — Bacon / Cured Meats
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed in 1 state:

Related recalls

Same hazard · chemical contamination

See all →

Similar recalls