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The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for three frozen Betterballen products because labels do not disclose sesame; the beef product also contains anchovy in Worcestershire sauce. Consumers who have the listed products should not eat them and should discard them or return them. No adverse reactions have been confirmed, and the products are no longer available for purchase.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for three frozen Betterballen products because their labels omit sesame, a known allergen; the beef product also contains anchovy in Worcestershire sauce without declaring fish. FSIS says consumers should not eat the products, which may still be in home freezers, although they are no longer available for purchase and a recall was not requested.
The alert covers clear, vacuum-packed packages of three frozen products: six-piece Bami Rolls, 10-piece Saté Kroketten and 12-piece Bitterballen. Each has a “BEST BY” date of October 2027. The listed lot codes are BR-2026-01 and BR-2026-02 for Bami Rolls, SK-1026-01 for Saté Kroketten and BB-1026-01 for Bitterballen.
The products were produced on October 15, October 16 and October 27, according to the alert. Packages carry establishment number EST. M3177 or EST. P3177 inside the USDA mark of inspection. FSIS advises anyone who bought the affected items not to consume them, and to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.
The products were sold by Lowlands House through internet sales nationwide. They may also have been sold at a festival and farmers market in Greer, South Carolina. FSIS says the issue was identified during a routine label review. The agency reported no confirmed adverse reactions connected to consumption of the products.
Allergen Labels Affect Consumer Safety
Undeclared allergens can make packaged foods unsafe for people who are allergic or sensitive to ingredients that are not listed on the label. In this alert, sesame is present in the covered products, while the beef product has an additional undeclared ingredient of concern: anchovy, a fish allergen, in its Worcestershire sauce. People who avoid either ingredient may not be able to identify the risk from the product label alone.
The products’ frozen status and their October 2027 best-by date mean some packages could remain in household freezers even though they are no longer for sale. The alert therefore applies to people who bought them earlier, including through online sales or potentially at the Greer-area event and market. Checking the product name, package size, lot code and establishment number can help consumers determine whether a package is covered.
FSIS says no adverse reactions have been confirmed. That statement describes what has been reported to the agency; it does not change the advice to avoid eating the products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a health care provider, as FSIS advises.
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How FSIS Identified the Label Problem
FSIS is the USDA agency responsible for inspection of meat and poultry products. In this case, the agency says it found the labeling problem through a routine label review. The identified issue is misbranding because the labels do not disclose ingredients that are known allergens: sesame in the products and fish from anchovy in the beef product’s Worcestershire sauce.
The agency issued a public health alert rather than requesting a recall. Food Safety News reported that a recall was not requested because the products were no longer available for purchase. That does not mean every package has necessarily been removed from consumers’ homes; FSIS specifically says some may remain in refrigerators or freezers. The alert asks consumers to take action on any affected packages they already have.
The affected products are described as frozen and not ready to eat. The source report does not provide cooking instructions or establish that cooking would address the undeclared-allergen concern. Consumers should follow the agency’s stated instruction not to consume the listed products, rather than relying on preparation to make them suitable.
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume these products.”
— USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Remaining Questions About Distribution
The available information does not state how many packages were produced or sold, how many may still be in consumers’ possession, or the dates and locations of the possible festival and farmers market sales in Greer. It also does not identify any individual consumer reports beyond saying that no adverse reactions have been confirmed.
The alert does not give a contact number for Lowlands House or describe whether the company has offered refunds. It says the products are no longer available for purchase, but does not provide details about when online sales stopped or whether any other distribution points were involved. The listed products, dates, lot codes and establishment numbers are the identification details supplied in the report.
FSIS has not reported a confirmed illness outbreak. The stated concern is the undeclared allergens and possible remaining packages, not a confirmed pattern of illness. Consumers with questions about a personal reaction should seek medical advice.
What Consumers Should Do Now
Consumers should check any Betterballen Bami Rolls, Saté Kroketten or Bitterballen packages against the sizes, lot codes and establishment numbers in the alert. If a package matches, FSIS says not to eat it: discard it or return it to the place of purchase. Do not serve it to someone else.
Anyone who believes they have experienced a reaction after eating one of the products should contact a health care provider. FSIS has not announced a recall request or provided a later update in the source report. Further information, if issued, could clarify distribution or consumer response; for now, the agency’s public health alert and its handling advice remain the reported guidance.
Key Questions
Which Betterballen products are covered by the alert?
The alert lists six-piece Bami Rolls with lot codes BR-2026-01 and BR-2026-02; 10-piece Saté Kroketten with lot code SK-1026-01; and 12-piece Bitterballen with lot code BB-1026-01. All are described as clear, vacuum-packed products with a best-by date of October 2027.
Which allergens are not declared?
Sesame is not declared on labels for the covered products. The beef product also contains Worcestershire sauce with anchovy, a fish allergen, which is not declared.
What should I do if I have one of the products?
Do not eat it. FSIS says to throw it away or return it to the place of purchase. Check the product name, package size and lot code to identify the items covered.
Have any illnesses or allergic reactions been confirmed?
The report says FSIS has received no confirmed reports of adverse reactions connected to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a health care provider.
Why was there an alert but no recall?
According to the report, a recall was not requested because the products were no longer available for purchase. FSIS still issued an alert because some packages may remain in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
