Agency classPublic Health AlertOur severity:High USDA FSIS·PHA-11152020-01·Announced 2020-11-15

Tucson Tamale Wholesale Recalls Chicken and Pork Tamales Due to Plastic Contamination

Tucson Tamale Wholesale Company LLC is recalling frozen chicken and pork tamales because they may contain hard plastic from diced tomatoes in puree.

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 choking hazard and potential injury to teeth or gums, which fits the rubric criterion for 'risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.'

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat frozen chicken and pork tamale products produced by Tucson Tamale Wholesale Co. LLC. The recall is due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic, originating from FDA-regulated diced tomatoes in puree used as an ingredient.

The affected products were produced between October 22, 2020, and November 9, 2020, and bear establishment number EST. 45860. Specific lot codes and sell-by dates are listed in the official notice, including lots F20296, F20309, F20303, F20307, F20314, and F20302. These items were sold online and shipped to distributors for further distribution to retail locations and restaurants nationwide.

The hard plastic poses a choking hazard or may cause damage to teeth or gums. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

The recalled product

Product: FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Chicken and Pork Tamales Containing FDA-Regulated Diced Tomatoes in Puree That Have Been Recalled Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Brand: Tucson Tamale Wholesale Company LLC
Manufacturer: Tucson Tamale Wholesale Company LLC
Category: Food — Frozen Ready-to-Eat
Hazard: choking
foreign-object

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Same brand · Tucson Tamale Wholesale Company LLC

Severe
Tucson Tamale Wholesale Recalls Beef Tamales Lacking Federal Inspection
USDA FSIS · 2016-09-16

Same manufacturer · Tucson Tamale Wholesale Company LLC

See all →

High
Tucson Tamale Blue Corn and Veggie Tamales Recalled for Plastic Contamination
FDA (Food) · 2020-12-09
High
Tucson Tamale Blue Corn Veggie & Cheese Tamales Recalled for Plastic Contamination
FDA (Food) · 2020-12-09

Same hazard · choking