Commack Schools Food Supplier Says Products Not Tainted in Tyson Recall

Whitsons Culinary Group, food supplier for the Commack School District, sent a memo Monday, stating that its products were not affected by a recent recall by Tyson Foods, in which 33,840 pounds of chicken products were taken off the market due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Tyson Foods voluntarily recalled 33,840 pounds of Tyson Mechanically Separated Chicken last Friday after the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Safety Inspection Service became aware of seven people at a Tennessee correctional facility being infected with a strain of the Salmonella bacteria on Dec. 12, 2013. Two of them required hospitalization, according to a report by the Associated Press. 

The mechanically separated chicken parts, which could be used to prepare chicken nuggets, was intended for institutional use across the country, and was not available to the general public, or sold in stores or restaurants.

“Please be assured that Whitsons has not received any of the recalled Tyson chicken products. As an additional safeguard, we have checked all product numbers and lot numbers in the recall against our inventory and have confirmed that we did not receive any of the recalled Tyson chicken products. In addition, all vendors approved for use by Whitsons must have in place a comprehensive recall policy that would include immediately notifying us if any of our specified products were involved in a recall,” Whitsons wrote in its memo to the Commack School District.

The USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service’s investigation remains ongoing.

The public can contact Tyson Consumer Relations department at 866-886-8456 with any concerns.