Ivar’s Commissary and the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service have issued a Public Health Alert for several types of clam chowder and soup that can spoil early and cause food poisoning.
No illnesses were reported, but there were multiple complaints of bloated soup containers. When the company tested the products that went bad, they found “high levels of spoilage bacteria.”
Health officials warned that the soup and clam chowder products “may have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions.”
Eating food that is contaminated with spoilage organisms can cause illness in immunocompromised individuals, according to the USDA.
Ivar’s did not recall the items because they are no longer available for purchase, but some have best-by dates through August 2023 and may still be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers.
The products were fully-cooked, heat and serve products that were sold in the refrigerated section of major grocery stores nationwide. Some were also exported to Mexico.
The warning applies to the following products:
- Ivar’s Puget Sound Clam Chowder with Bacon — 48-oz. packages containing two 24-oz. cups — Use By dates 4/26/2023, 4/27/2023, 5/3/2023, 5/4/2023, 5/5/2023, 5/11/2023, 5/23/2023, 5/30/2023, 6/2/2023, 6/6/2023, 6/7/2023, 7/5/2023, 7/20/2023, 8/1/2023, 8/10/2023, and 8/17/2023.
- Ivar’s Puget Sound Clam Chowder with Bacon — 20-oz. cup — Use By dates 4/26/2023, 5/5/2023, 6/6/2023, 7/20/2023, and 8/10/2023.
- Ivar’s Loaded Baked Potato Soup — 48-oz. packages containing two 24-oz. cups — Use By dates 5/9/2023, 5/19/2023, 6/16/2023, and 7/18/2023.
- Ivar’s Rustic Zuppa Toscana Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup — 48-oz. packages containing two 24-oz. cups — Use By dates 4/30/2023, 5/2/2023, 5/14/2023, 5/15/2023, 5/21/2023, 5/22/2023, and 5/30/2023.
- Pike Place Fish Market World Famous Clam Chowder with Bacon — 20-oz. cup — Use By dates 5/4/2023, 7/5/2023, and 8/1/2023.
Ivar’s urges consumers not to eat the products. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Source: FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ready-to-Eat Meat Soup Products Due to Possible Contamination
