WASHINGTON – VU Foods LLC, a Kansas City, Mo. firm, refused to recall breaded-chicken products that were produced without inspection, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service reported. FSIS issued a public health alert.

"The problem was discovered by the state of Missouri, which was assisted by law enforcement to enter a warehouse location and observed products that were produced without the benefit of inspection," FSIS said in the alert. "The state of Missouri notified FSIS of the facility operating without the benefit of inspection on July 15, 2014. On that same day, the state of Missouri began detaining the breaded-chicken products produced at the facility and FSIS began detaining additional products on July 17, 2014. FSIS served a Notice of Suspension to VU Foods LLC, on July 24, 2014."


FSIS detained the chicken products and is conducting trace forward investigations with distribution centers to get restaurant customers to return the products, the agency said.

Products subject to the health alert bear the establishment number “P-45038” inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the label. Some labels state that the products were distributed by Tact Foodservice or US Foods. FSIS said the products were sent to distributors labeled for "Use in Restaurant Only".

Products that were shipped to distribution centers include:

• Select Cut – Cubed Chicken Breast Meat (product code: 10800)
• Select Cut – Cubed Chicken Breast Meat (product code: 10810)
• Cubed Chicken Breast Meat (product code: 10500)
• Pre-Battered Chicken Tender (product code: 80022)
• Boneless All Natural Chicken Breast Nuggets (product code: 8550)
• Chicken Dark Meat Nuggets (product code: 20505)
• KIKKA Boneless All Natural Chicken Breast Nuggets, packed exclusively for KIKKA RESTAURANTS

FSIS said its investigation is ongoing, and the agency is prepared to take additional action or expand the investigation based on new evidence.