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Chicken recall linked to product tampering at Cold Spring plant

A Minnesota chicken company has recalled 55,608 pounds of meat after an incident involving the Cold Spring plant.
GNP Company, the parent company of Gold’n Plump and Just BARE, made the announcement on June 19 after the USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a Class I recall of some of the company’s products on Saturday, June 18.
The affected product may be contaminated with extraneous foreign matter and is linked to an isolated product-tampering incident that occurred during the week of June 6.
A third-party lab verified the foreign matter to be benign, natural materials including dirt and/or sand.
However, because the company cannot say with 100 percent certainty that the product is safe for consumption, the product recall is being classified as a USDA-FSIS Class 1 Product Recall.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption or use of these products. 
The one retail item being recalled is Just BARE Whole Chicken (UPC 024105594057), sold in 4-pound poly-bags, with a use-by/freeze-by date stamp of 6/26/16.
No other Just BARE whole chicken, tray pack or deli products are affected.
The product bears code P-322 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Consumers who have purchased this item are urged not to use or consume it.
These products should be disposed of or returned to the store where purchased for a refund.
Contrary to initial reports, only one of the products being recalled is sold in the grocery store meat case, the rest are bulk and custom items sold through foodservice and institutional outlets.
Luverne’s Gold’n Plump plant is not involved in the recall.
“Safety is GNP Company’s No. 1 core value and its first priority — for its people and its products,” company officials stated in the June 19 release. 
“The company is working to collect all recalled products and remove them from commerce.” 
Customers and consumers with questions about the recall can contact GNP Company at 1-800-892-8569.
Law enforcement authorities are currently handling the case.

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