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MBI assures all Ox & Palm products in the CNMI are safe for consumption
Micronesian Brokers (CNMI) Inc. has assured that all Ox & Palm products in the CNMI are safe for consumption, despite a recent recall issued by the U.S. Department of Public Health and Social Services on certain Ox & Palm canned products.
In a letter it released to the public, Micronesian Brokers CNMI said it does not deal with Milky Way International Trading Corp. or MW Polar, which is the company subject to the recall.
Last Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Public Health and Social Services announced the recall of 297,715 lbs of Ox & Palm canned products that MW Polar from Norwalk, California distributed in the United States. The recall was due to the lack of Food Safety Inspection Service import reinspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“…Micronesia Brokers Inc. imports Ox & Palm directly from Heinz, Australia. All products are inspected by USDA inspector and each case has a USDA inspection stamp. MBI’s Ox & Palm are not part of any USDA recall and are safe for consumption,” said Dennis Yoshimoto, general manager Micronesia Brokers (CNMI) Inc.
The MBI letter was co-signed by USDA supervisor Dr. Paul Pomes.
This assurance was echoed by Priscilla Rusa, head of exports of Kraft Heinz Australia: “We wish to make it clear that this recall only covers products by MW Polar that were shipped into MW Polar’s warehouses in the United States. All Ox & Palm products that were not imported by MW Polar—including the products you [MBI] distribute—are not affected by this issue and can be sold to your consumers in your jurisdiction as before,” she said in a letter yesterday. “…We would like to re-iterate that Ox & Palm products are of high quality and perfectly fit for consumption. All products that have followed the standard FSIS inspection process into the U.S. or have been imported into other jurisdictions can be sold to consumers without concern.”
According to Yoshimoto, MBI’s Ox & Palm are all inspected by the CNMI USDA Inspector. Each case has a USDA marking with the Inspection Facility Number stamped on every case.
