The Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) has assured that the US branded Del Monte Fiesta Corn that was recalled from Guyana, among other countries, by the company for being under-processed will be destroyed.
In a statement to the media on Friday, the GA-FDD said it has, “Since granted approval for the distributor to initiate a voluntary recall of the affected products. All affected products will be destroyed under the supervision of this department at the completion of the recall and detaining exercise”.
It added that it has been in contact with the local distributor of the product. Toucan Industries has so far imported “204 cases X 12 cans X 15.25 oz or 432g”. Of this amount, 150 cases were distributed nationally, and 54 cases have been placed on hold in the distributor’s warehouse.
Moreover, this publication was told that 408 additional cases of the product were on its way to Guyana. GA-FDD said the distributing company was instructed to notify the Department on arrival of these cases.
“Details of the recalled product are 15.25 OZ or 432g – cans with UPC # 24000 02770 at the top of the label: 24000 02770 with the following ‘Best If Used By’ dates stamped on the bottom of the cans: August 14, 2021; August 15, 2021; August 16, 2021; September 3, 2021; September 4, 2021; September 5, 2021; September 6, 2021; September 22, 2021; and September 23, 2021,” GA-FDD warned.
The Caribbean countries affected by the recall of Del Monte “Fiesta Corn” are Guyana, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Haiti, Aruba, St Lucia and Suriname.
The other countries are El Salvador, Uruguay and Panama.
According to the CMC, the company warns the product could cause life-threatening illness if consumed. The US Food and Drug Administration said the recall of 64,242 cases of the “Fiesta Corn” seasoned with red and green peppers were due to under-processing.
It said the missed steps from the commercial sterilisation process could result in spoilage and possible contamination with life-threatening pathogens, if consumed, Del Monte warned, according to CMC.
There have not been any reports of illness as a result of the products, the company added.
It said a central concern with under-processing canned food is the potential growth of bacteria, including clostridium botulinum, which creates toxins that cause botulism poisoning, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
