Los Angeles Firm Recalls Egg Rolls for Undeclared Egg Whites

WASHINGTON, March 2, 1999--Fil-Am Specialty Foods, Incorporated, a Los Angeles firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 3,600 pounds of egg rolls because the product may contain undeclared egg whites, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Egg white is a known allergen. Persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

The egg roll products being recalled all have a date code from xx09228 through xx02089 on the back of the package. These codes can be read as follows: the xx can represent any number, representing a production code. The third and fourth numbers represent the month, the fifth and sixth represent the day, and the last number represents the year. The establishment number, 4828, appears inside the USDA seal of inspection. The products being recalled are:

• "Lumpia Vegetable with Beef," Tropics Brand, 24-ounce packages;

• "Lumpia Vegetable with Chicken," Tropics Brand, 24-ounce packages; and

• "Lumpia Vegetable with Pork," Tropics Brand, 24-ounce packages.

The Fil-Am Specialty Foods, Inc., products were distributed to distributors in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, who may have distributed the products more widely.

"Because of the potential hazard for people with egg allergies, we urge consumers to immediately check their refrigerators and freezers. If they find the recalled product, consumers should not eat them and should return them to the point of purchase," said Margaret Glavin, associate administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The problem was discovered by Food and Drug Administration officials conducting a routine investigation of the firm that supplies egg roll wrappers to companies that make egg rolls, including Fil-Am Specialty Foods, Inc.

No illnesses associated with consumption of the recalled product have been reported to FSIS.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Dario Esguerra, General Manager of Fil-Am Specialty Foods, Inc., at (323) 225-6130.

Consumers with questions about food safety may phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday, although recorded information is available 24 hours a day.

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