The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were illegally imported from the Philippines. The Philippines is a country not eligible to export meat and poultry products to the United States. FSIS is continuing to investigate how these products entered the country.

The following products are subject to the public health alert, regardless of the product date:

• 150-gram can of "Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF."
• 175-gram can of "Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF."
• 260-gram can of "Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF."
• 150-gram can of "PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF."
• 210-gram can of "PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF."
• 150-gram can of "CHUNKEE CORNED BEEF."
• 190-gram can of "CHUNKEE CORNED BEEF."
• 7.43-ounce jar of "Lady's Choice Chicken Spread."

The products subject to the public health alert do not bear any producing establishment information. These items were shipped to restaurant and retail locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia.

The problem was discovered when FSIS was performing routine surveillance activities at a retailer and found meat and poultry products from the Philippines that are not eligible to be exported to the U.S.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' and restaurants' pantries and on retailers' shelves. Retailers who have purchased the products are urged not to sell them. Consumers and restaurants who have purchased these products are urged not to consume or serve them. Consumers are asked to double bag the product when discarding it to reduce the possibility of animals accessing the product because USDA cannot confirm whether the products were properly heated to control pathogens of concern to domestic livestock and poultry.

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the public health alert can contact John Ducar, owner, Redsealuxury LLC, at 646-669-4020 or johnny@redsealux.com.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers who need to report a problem with a meat, poultry or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Source: USDA's FSIS