Illegally imported foreign foods, including duck blood, have been discovered on American grocery store shelves.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued an alert last week over ‘ineligible’ meat and poultry products from Myanmar in southeast Asia.
The alert includes seven products sold by multiple brands in cans or clear packaging and include duck blood, dried fish, beef curry, chicken biryani, two types of fish paste and coconut soup paste.
The FSIS said the products were shipped to retailers in Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
Myanmar is not allowed to export meat or dairy products into the US and the agency is investigating how the illegal products made it into the country.
The products – which are listed at the bottom of this article – were first detected when FSIS was performing surveillance at retailers and found the products on shelves.
The agency has urged retailers not to sell the products but is concerned other retailers may be unknowingly selling them and customers may already have them in their homes.
The FSIS said there have been no reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products.
Cans of duck blood (pictured above) have been illegally imported into the US from Myanmar
Vacuum-sealed packages of dried fish goods (pictured above) were also among the seven products illegally imported from Myanmar
The FSIS’ alert also said the products included in the public health alert do not have an establishment number or a USDA mark of inspection.
An FSIS spokesperson told Newsweek: ‘Meat and poultry products from Myanmar are not eligible to be exported to the United States.
Since the product was identified and is being removed from commerce, the risk to public health is considered low.
‘To import meat, poultry, or egg products to the U.S., products must originate from certified countries and establishments eligible to export to the United States.’
This is not the first time this year the FSIS has issued a public health alert for products. In August, the agency published an alert for 17 products imported from Myanmar.
The items were sold under the brand name Grandma and included an array of curries, chicken, fish paste, fermented soybeans and fish.
The US has placed sanctions on exports from Myanmar in relation to multiple industries, including food, agricultural products, jewels and certain construction materials due to illegal sourcing practices or inadequate inspection processes.
The public health alert comes amid increased concerns about America’s food supply chain, food products and food safety.
In another public health alert from the CDC, the agency is tracking a nationwide outbreak of E.coli from McDonald’s that has sickened 75, including two people hospitalized with a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
One person has died.
The outbreak is thought to stem from the onions used on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers.
The fast food giant has temporarily removed Quarter Pounders from it menu in certain states due to a potential food safety issue.
