WASHINGTON, July 15, 2003--Serenade Foods, a Milford, Ind., establishment doing business as Maple Leaf Farms, Inc., is voluntarily recalling approximately 200 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat duck products because of an undeclared allergen (sesame seeds), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Serenade Foods is recalling its Roast Half Duckling with Szechwan Sauce because it is incorrectly labeled as Oriental Seasoned Roast Half Duck.

The products being recalled are labeled as:

• 9-lb. cases and individual sample pieces of "Maple Leaf Farms ORIENTAL SEASONED ROAST HALF DUCK" bearing the code "003515812" or "003515812PCS." The 9-lb. cases also bear the lot code "2340" and the establishment code "P-2375" inside the USDA seal of inspection.

The products were produced on Dec. 6, 2002, and distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutions in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas and Virginia.

The problem was discovered by Maple Leaf Farms, Inc., which contacted FSIS to initiate the recall.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Serenade Foods customer service at (574) 658-4121. Media with questions about the recall may contact Janelle Deatsman, corporate communications manager, at (574) 658-2846.

Consumers with other food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

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