If You Have This Frozen Pizza at Home, Don't Eat It, USDA Says in New Warning
The convenient kitchen staple could pose a potentially serious health risk.
No matter what your level of kitchen mastery might be, there's practically nothing as convenient as a frozen pizza. And even though it might not taste as fresh as a delivery pie, the kitchen staple provides a fast and easy way to get a meal on the table within minutes, no matter what your favorite style or topping may be. But now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is warning there's one type of frozen pizza you shouldn't eat. Read on to see which product the agency says to toss immediately.
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There has been a wave of pizza recalls this summer.
While safety recalls can affect all types of food products, this has been an especially tough summer for frozen pizzas. On July 15, FSIS issued a High Class 1 safety alert announcing that Florida-based Ready Dough Pizza Inc. was recalling 14-ounce packages of "Pizza Cubana by Ready Dough Pizza Inc" after it discovered the items were "produced without the benefit of federal inspection." Specifically, the agency found the affected products to have shipped with either incorrect ingredient labels or missing them altogether. Six days later, the agency expanded the recall to include the company's "Pizza Cubana Cuban Style Ham Pizza" and "Pizza Cubana Cuban Style Bacon Pizza," citing the same inspection and labeling issues.
Soon after, Florida-based Danny's Sub and Pizza announced a recall of roughly 19,275 pounds of frozen meat pizzas due once again to a lack of USDA inspection during preparation and production. The items included Danny's Cuban Pizza Authentic Cuban Style pepperoni, Danny's Cuban Pizza Authentic Cuban Style chorizo, Danny's Cuban Pizza Authentic Cuban Style Hawaiian, and Danny's Cuban Pizza Authentic Cuban Style ham.
And on Aug. 14, yet another pizza-related recall was issued in a High Class 1 safety alert affecting 13,099 pounds of "Home Run Inn Chicago's Premium Pizzeria Deluxe Sausage Classic Pizza." The company released the warning after it discovered the items "may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal" after customers reported the issue.
Now, the agency is warning that customers may want to check their freezers for one more product.
The USDA has announced a recall of another type of frozen pizza.
On Aug. 25, the FSIS announced that Essex, Maryland-based Pizza John's had issued a recall for roughly 156,498 pounds of its pepperoni pizza products. The items were distributed and sold from March 2020 through July 28, 2022 at retail locations throughout Maryland.
The affected products include 33.25-ounce clear plastic-wrapped packages labeled "PIZZA JOHN'S BAKE AT HOME 12 Inch Pepperoni Pizza" with UPC code 9589334921; and 57-ounce clear plastic-wrapped packages marked as "PIZZA JOHN'S BAKE AT HOME 16 Inch Pepperoni Pizza" with UPC code 958939019.
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The company issued the recall due to inspection issues.
According to the agency's notice, the company issued the recall because the products in question do not bear the USDA mark of inspection, as "Pizza John's is not a federally inspected establishment." The FSIS discovered the issue while conducting routine surveillance, which the agency performs to ensure products are safe for public consumption and that labeling is accurate, according to the USDA's Health and Safety page on its website.
Here's what you should do if you purchased the recalled frozen pizzas
Given the long sales window of the products, the agency is concerned that the items could be in customers' freezers. Fortunately, no one has reported any adverse reactions related to the recalled products, but the FSIS still suggests that anyone who feels they may be ill contact their healthcare provider immediately.
The agency urges those who purchased the recalled Pizza John's frozen items not to consume them. Instead, they should throw them away or return them to their place of purchase. Customers with questions about the recall can contact Pizza John's, with contact information provided on the FSIS release.
