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Commonly
Asked Questions and Answers on
the
FNS hold on Castleberry Beef
Stew and Bison Stew
Updated
Aug. 3, 2007
Q: Are the Castleberry’s Food
Company’s 24-oz canned beef stew
and bison stew under a recall by
either the Food and Drug
Administration or Food Safety
and Inspection Service/USDA?
No.
USDA commodities provided to
household domestic nutrition
assistance programs are not part
of the recall. As a
precautionary measure, the Food
and Nutrition Service and
Agricultural Marketing Service
placed a hold (meaning that a
product should not be shipped,
distributed, or consumed until
further notice) on further
distribution of Castleberry’s
24-oz canned beef stew and bison
stew until the Food and Drug
Administration and Food Safety
and Inspection Service
investigations are complete.
Q:
When will the final status of
the Castleberry's Foods canned
beef stew and bison stew
currently on hold be known?
A: The
FDA and USDA investigations are
on-going. As soon as the
investigations are complete,
this information and the results
will be made available to
recipient agencies.
Q:
Should all beef stew and bison
stew from all places be
recalled?
A:
Right now, Castleberry's stews
(both beef and bison) are on
hold and are not being recalled.
As such, all beef stew and bison
stew should be checked for
Establishment 195 (USDA
identifying numbers stamped on
can) and held (not consumed)
until the investigations by the
regulatory agencies are complete
and further instruction is
given. Agricultural Marketing
Services (AMS) will be the
guiding agency regarding the
final determination of
FNS-distributed products.
Q:
What do I tell people who have
received this product and have
it in their homes?
A:
Although we do not anticipate
that our product will be found
to have a problem once the
investigations are completed, we
are putting all Castleberry beef
stew or bison stew on hold so
that it is not consumed until
further notice.
Q:
Should I have food banks return
the product to the State’s
warehouse?
A: It
is not necessary for food banks
to return the product to the
State's warehouse at this time.
They should set the products
aside in their own inventory
until further notice.
Q:
How far down the distribution
chain should notice of the hold
be sent?
A: The
hold announcement should go all
the way down to recipients of
assistance from FNS nutrition
assistance programs to the
extent possible. Sites such as
food banks, soup kitchens, etc.,
may not always know exactly
which recipients received these
products. In this case, an
effort can be made to call
participants, send post card
announcements, or put flyers
into the bags that they can read
on their return visit.
Last updated:
10/29/2008
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