Kelley Foods Recalls Smoked Baby Rope Sausage Product Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen

For Immediate Release

March 23, 2023

Contact Information

Kelley Foods
David Werner
817-759-6000

Company Announcement

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2023 – Kelley Foods, an Elba, Ala. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,455 pounds of smoked baby rope sausage due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product contains cheese, thereby milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.

The fully cooked smoked baby rope sausage item was produced on Jan. 10, 2023. The following product is subject to recall [view labels]:

• 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages containing “KELLEY Naturally Hardwood Smoked JALAPEÑO PEPPER BABY ROPE SAUSAGE” code 2705493011 and a use or freeze by date of May 11, 2023.

The product subject to recall bears establishment number “EST. 8016” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Alabama and Florida.

The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that a grocery store manager found that the Kelley Foods Jalapeño Pepper Baby Rope Sausage appeared to contain cheddar cheese, which was not listed as an ingredient on the product label. Upon further investigation, the firm confirmed that its jalapeño and cheddar baby rope sausage product contained the wrong label.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. 

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution lists will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact David Werner, Senior Vice President of Independent Sales and Marketing, Kelley Foods, at 817-759-6000.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.