One Major Sausage Recall Pulled Nearly A Million Pounds Of Meat Off The Shelves

No food is entirely immune to being pulled from the shelves if it fails to meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. In recent years, food recalls have been on the rise, but a massive sausage recall which affected millions occurred as recently as 2017. The sausage manufacturer Century Packing had to put out a recall on nearly 1 million pounds of chicken sausage products it had produced between January 1, 2015 and February 13, 2017 because of a labeling mishap. The thermally processed chicken sausage contained monosodium glutamate (MSG, as it's commonly known as) which wasn't declared on any of the product's ingredient lists.

The chicken sausage had been distributed primarily throughout Florida and Puerto Rico to be sold in grocery stores and used in schools, but the FDA requires food manufacturers to list every ingredient used in a food product on the label. So, in 2017, when a standard label verification procedure led to the discovery of MSG as an ingredient in bouillon seasoning that went into the chicken sausage, a recall was necessary. A large-scale recall can elicit concern thanks to some of the deadliest food recalls to sweep the United States, but the Century Packing MSG incident was purely a labeling mishap. The issue wasn't exactly life-threatening.

Some of the most common reasons foods are recalled include hazards which can injure a person or make them sick. However, the MSG in the recalled chicken sausage does serve a purpose (and is definitely not a hazard, despite some vocal criticism of the ingredient). MSG is an odorless additive made from sodium and L-glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid. The first man-made MSG was created in Japan in 1908. It has since grown in popularity. MSG is now a frequently used ingredient in recipes which need a boost in umami. That includes everything from meat to rice.

While MSG is generally known to be a safe ingredient in food, there have long been people who aren't fans. Specific symptoms which appear similar to allergic reactions (itching, body tingling, nausea, and headaches) have been attributed to MSG by some, but the FDA maintains that MSG is a safe ingredient in limited quantities. Regardless, when food manufacturers fail to list any ingredient on a product label, it keeps consumers in the dark and opens up more potential for food fraud and public uncertainty. The ability to know what we're buying and eating is crucial as it allows us to make effective choices concerning our health.