The 300,000 Pound Hot Dog And Sausage Recall That Shook The US

A staple food of summer, there are few things better in life than a grilled hot dog or sausage. Whether you're preparing a quick and easy chili dog or tasty smoked sausage recipe, the quality of your ready-to-eat meat makes a substantial difference in the end product. While storage and cooking techniques are important, quality issues can also occur at the manufacturing level. And quality issues don't always involve the presence of bacteria or a foreign material, as illustrated by a food recall that took place in 2018.

Kent Quality Foods, Inc., a Michigan-based manufacturer of sausages and hot dogs, recalled an estimated 308,430 pounds of meat after it was determined that spices used in the Beef Polish sausage included hydrolyzed soy protein but didn't list the ingredient on the label. Food manufacturers must accurately list major allergens, including eggs, wheat, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, and soybeans, to ensure that consumers with allergies and intolerances can avoid them. Only one product was affected by the labeling mishap, but fears about cross-contamination caused Kent Quality Foods to add more items to the recall. The sausages and hot dogs affected by the recall were used by restaurants and commercial distributors, and fortunately, the USDA received no accounts of adverse reactions from consumers.

Hydrolyzed soy protein is a common food additive that's typically used as a flavor enhancer when incorporated into meat products (or in the case of the 2018 Kent Quality Foods recall, incorporated into the product's spice blend). This additive is made by a chemical process called hydrolysis, which reduces protein molecules into amino acids. Along with soy, hydrolyzed proteins can also be made with wheat and corn.

Consumers should be able to tell fact from fiction when it comes to common myths about soy, such as claims that soy causes early puberty (research shows that soy consumption has no effect on when a person experiences puberty). Soybeans are also a great source of protein, and they contain lots of essential vitamins and minerals. Despite these nutritional benefits, soy is highly problematic for people with allergies and intolerances. Soy allergies are associated with symptoms like stomach cramping, hives, and nausea, but they can also cause anaphylaxis, which can impair breathing significantly and may even require emergency medical attention.

Along with financial setbacks, food recalls can also cause significant reputational damage to the companies involved. However, it appears that Kent Quality Foods is still in the process of manufacturing sausages and hot dogs, which shows that it's possible for a business to bounce back after a major quality issue.