Illegally imported foreign foods, including duck blood, have been discovered on American grocery store shelves.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued an alert last week about “ineligible” meat and poultry products from Myanmar in Southeast Asia.
The alert includes seven products sold by multiple brands in cans or transparent packaging and include duck blood, dried fish, beef curry, chicken biryani, two types of fish paste and coconut soup paste.
FSIS said the products were shipped to retailers in Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
Myanmar is not allowed to export meat or dairy products to the United States and the agency is investigating how the illegal products arrived in the country.
The products, which are listed at the end of this article, were first detected when FSIS was conducting surveillance at retailers and found the products on shelves.
The agency has urged retailers not to sell the products, but is concerned that other retailers are unknowingly selling them and that customers already have them in their homes.
FSIS said there have been no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
Cans of duck blood (pictured above) have been illegally imported into the US from Myanmar
Vacuum-sealed packages of dried fish products (pictured above) were also among the seven products illegally imported from Myanmar.
The FSIS alert It also said products included in the public health alert do not have an establishment number or USDA inspection mark.
An FSIS spokesperson said news week: ‘Myanmar meat and poultry products cannot be exported to the United States.
Since the product was identified and removed from commerce, the risk to public health is considered low.
“To import meat, poultry, or egg products into the United States, the products must come from certified countries and establishments eligible to export to the United States.”
This is not the first time this year that FSIS has issued a public health alert for products. In August, the agency published a alert for 17 products imported from Myanmar.
The items were sold under the Grandma brand and included a variety of curries, chicken, fish paste, fermented soybeans and fish.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Myanmar exports in relation to multiple industries, including food, agricultural products, jewelry and certain construction materials, due to illegal sourcing practices or inadequate inspection processes.
The public health alert comes amid growing concerns about the U.S. food supply chain, food products and food safety.
In another CDC public health alert, the agency is tracking a national McDonald’s E. coli outbreak that has sickened 75 people, including two people hospitalized with a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
One person has died.
The outbreak is believed to be caused by onions used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers.
The fast food giant has temporarily removed Quarter Pounders from its menu in certain states due to a potential food safety issue.
