GK Foods clarifies USDA alert on Grace Chicken Vienna Sausages

GraceKennedy Foods (GK Foods) is seeking to distance its brand from a United States public health alert involving Grace Chicken Vienna Sausages manufactured in Jamaica.

On Tuesday, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) issued a Public Health Alert for canned chicken Vienna-style sausages that it said had been illegally imported from Jamaica, a country that is not eligible to export meat or poultry products to the United States.

The agency advised consumers who purchased the affected products not to eat them and to discard them or return them to the place of purchase.

In a statement on Wednesday, GK Foods said it does not export Grace Chicken Vienna Sausages manufactured in Jamaica to the United States and has not authorised any person or entity to do so on its behalf.

“GK Foods is not currently eligible to export meat or poultry products to the United States and operates in full compliance with this regulatory requirement. Accordingly, any Jamaica-manufactured Grace Chicken Vienna Sausages that entered the US market did so outside of GK Foods’ authorised export and distribution channels,” the company said.

GK Foods said Grace Vienna Sausages distributed by the company in the United States are manufactured at USDA-compliant facilities and in accordance with applicable US requirements.

The company also stressed that the USDA alert does not identify contamination or a food-safety defect with the product.

GK Foods said its meat-processing facility in Jamaica, which manufactures Grace Chicken Vienna Sausages, is FSSC 22000 certified and maintains stringent food-safety and quality standards.

It said the facility also exports to several approved markets across the Caribbean in accordance with the regulatory requirements of those countries.

FSSC 22000 is a globally recognised food-safety management system certification scheme covering organisations across the food supply chain.

The USDA-FSIS said there were no confirmed reports of illness or injury associated with consumption of the products.

GK Foods said it takes the integrity of its brands, products and authorised distribution channels seriously and remains committed to food safety, quality and regulatory compliance across all markets in which it operates.

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