The Real Reason Ready Dough's Pepperoni Pizzas Were Recalled
There are few words in the English language quite so scary as "food recall." The mind immediately rolodexes through every news story you've ever heard, read, or watched about foods that were recalled for the scariest reasons. Lead tainted fruit? Check. E. coli power greens? The FDA says it happened. It's easy to worry after hearing those words.
Fortunately, the recall of Ready Dough Pizzas isn't quite so scary. The Florida-based brand specializes in pizza Cubana, or Cuban-style pizza with thick, slightly sweet crust (via Hispanic Food Network). It's also traditionally topped with an unseasoned tomato sauce and two types of cheese, both mozzarella and more flavourful gouda to add a little depth. The most common toppings are ham, chorizo, and pepperoni, but can include anything from shrimp to sliced banana. The dish is believed to have originated in Havana, Cuba (as per Taste Atlas).
Pizzas from the brand have been recalled and you may want to know the reason why.
Safety info you need to know
Thankfully, there's no need to worry about bacterial contamination with this recall, unlike say the Trader Joe's Caesar salad warning earlier this month. But that doesn't mean the pizzas were safe for everyone to eat.
Frozen pizza brand Ready Dough Pizza was forced to recall 10,584 pounds of pizza this July — that's a lotta dough. According to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the pizzas had not been subject to federal inspection and had some labeling issues. Some pizzas did not have the USDA mark of inspection or the proper ingredients statement. The products affected were the Pizza Cubana Cuban Style Pepperoni Pizza, Pizza Cubana Cuban Style Ham Pizza, and Pizza Cubana Cuban Style Bacon Pizza. The brand also makes a cheese oven-ready Cuban-style pizza.
Additionally, all products recalled contained allergens that companies are legally required to list on the packaging. With no ingredients label, there was no disclosure of these allergens, which included milk, wheat, and soy. There are no reports of allergic reactions stemming from the pizzas at this time.