California

Lee's Sandwiches Recalls Uninspected Chicken, Beef, Pork: USDA

Lee's Sandwiches, a popular Vietnamese sandwich shop based in Southern California, is recalling nearly a quarter million pounds of chicken, beef and pork products that were produced without being inspected, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The USDA said in a statement on May 20 that LQNN, Inc., operating as Lee’s Sandwiches, has been processing products from federally inspected establishments and repackaging them without the benefit of inspection. Products produced without inspection present potential of increased human health risk. More than 200,000 pounds of meat are included in the recall.

The various poultry, beef and pork items were produced between May 18, 2014 and May 18, 2015.

The following products are subject to recall and were sent to various restaurant locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas to be cooked and served to consumers. The following products may contain “Est. 11041” or “P-11041” inside the USDA mark of inspection:


• 54,509 pounds of “Banh Bao Pork & Egg Steamed Bun.”
• 15,147 pounds of “Banh Bao Trung Cut Pork & Quail Egg Steamed Bun Vietnamese Style.”
• 55,114 pounds of “PORK PATE CHAUD (LARGE).”
• 6,016.5 pounds of “PORK PATE CHAUD (SMALL).”
• 50,036 pounds of “CHICKEN PATE CHAUD (LARGE).”
• 6,184.5 pounds of “CHICKEN PATE CHAUD (SMALL).”

The following products are subject to recall and were sent to the aforementioned restaurant locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas to be prepared and served to consumers. The following products may contain “Est. 11041” or “P-11041” inside the USDA mark of inspection:


• 22,812 pounds of “SLICED OIL BROWNED TURKEY PREMIUM BREAST MEAT FULLY COOKED.”
• 2,453.5 pounds of “SLICED SALAMI MEAT with wine FULLY COOKED.”

The following products are subject to recall and were sent to various retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas for retail distribution to consumers. The following products may contain “Est. 18995” inside the USDA mark of inspection:

• 222.25 pounds of 4-oz. plastic containers of “FRUIT BEEF JERKY (Kho Bo).”
• 352 pounds of 4-oz. plastic containers of “B.B.Q. BEEF JERKY (Kho Bo).”
• 354 pounds of 4-oz. plastic containers of “Curry BEEF JERKY (Kho Bo).”

The problem was discovered by food and safety workers during a surveillance review. USDA officials visited the firm's central kitchen, an FDA-regulated operation, on May 19, according to a statement from LQNN.

"While the LQNN central kitchen could supply the corporate-owned Lee Sandwiches retail stores, it cannot supply the same food items to the franchise-owned Lee Sandwiches retail stores," the company said in the statement. "It has been determined that even if the LQNN central kitchen is an FDA regulated facility, for it to supply to Lee Sandwiches franchise retail stores, it will have to be under the USDA inspection. Since the LQNN central kitchen is not currently a USDA inspected facility, the USDA has deemed it necessary to declare that all the food items produced at this central kitchen 'have been produced without the benefit of USDA inspection' and are therefore subject to recall if they have been distributed to the franchise-owned Lee Sandwiches retail stores."

The USDA discovered during the same visit that some products being repacked or processed at the central kitchen were packaged with an "erroneous label" that features a USDA identification number. Corporate and franchise-owned stores are subject to the recall due to what is considered a case of "misbranding."

"We also would like to assure the public that the implicated products were produced in an FDA regulated facility and that the leadership of LQNN is confident that the products being recalled all meet the food safety standards of the company and were manufactured using ingredients and processes that meet the requirements of the FDA," according to the LQNN statement. "There has been no reported case of illness that can be connected directly or indirectly with the products being recalled."

Follow this tips to help prevent foodborne illness:

  • Cook your meat and poultry thoroughly. Cooking it to its proper temperature kills harmful bacteria.
  • Before cooking, avoid cross-contamination by keeping meat and poultry separate from other foods. Meat is most dangerous in its raw form, even if it’s wrapped up at the grocery store.
  • Never wash meat. Splashing water from washing meat is a prime way to spread bacteria in the kitchen.
  • Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat. You could get sick if you touch contaminated meat, then pick up a piece of fruit and eat it.

Consumers can find more information from the USDA here:

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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