BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRELIMINARY investigations into a Libby’s corned beef recall have revealed that St. Kitts and Nevis may not be affected.
On Friday, May 14, the United States Department of Agriculture posted a release on its website indicating that specific beef products were subject to recall: Libby’s 12 oz corned beef and 35 pound boxed of “Seasoned Cooked Beef”.
The Libby’s products subject to recall, according to the release, are limited to those which have either of these production codes affixed to the container: 100222 U, 100219 U and 100224 U.
While the communiqué specifically informed that the corned beef was distributed throughout the United States of America, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Bureau of Standards launched an investigation to ascertain whether or not the local population would be affected by the recall.
Consumer Affairs Director Howard Richardson informed SKNVibes that a team of investigators were dispatched yesterday (May 27) to visit the major distributors of Libby’s corned beef - S. L. Horsford’s Valu Mart and the agent, Rams Trading Ltd.
He said the team found that these establishments have the product in stock but the production codes on the items did not match those listed on the USDA website.
“I don’t think there is any need for alarm because the major importer is safe, but because we want to be safe and ensure that our consumers are safe, further investigations into the recall would be made,” Richardson said.
His explanation was that in investigating recall matters, the Bureau of Standards would “take the lead” and would be collaborating with the Ministries of Consumer Affairs, Agriculture and Health to further assess the situation and “see if we should pursue any further action”.
The Consumer Affairs Director said the media could expect a press release on the issue after assessments would have been completed.
