The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) www.fsis.usda.gov is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) www.usda.gov. FSIS is responsible for ensuring the safety of the nation’s egg, poultry, and meat products.


Federal regulators and Sigma Processed Meats, Inc. issued a Class III recall of about 2.68 million pounds of ready-to-eat ham products. Sigma Processed Meats, Inc., a company based out of Seminole, Oklahoma, discovered the food labels on their fully-cooked products did not indicate that the items contain monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is a common food additive used for flavor and is known to cause adverse events in many people after they consume the food flavoring.

The following products are under federal recall:

- “FUD, Original, Cooked Ham, and water product 40% of weight is added ingredients” 12-pound, 5.5-ounce bags packed in cases

- “Sigma foods, FUD, Original, Cooked Ham, and water product 40% of weight is added ingredients, Si iSabe!” 12-pound, 5.5-ounce bags packed in cases

The labels on the previously listed ham items should have an “EST. 34447” establishment number on the inside of the USDA mark of inspection and a “May 23-Sept. 7, 2009” “Use By” date. The labels also have “01106” as the identifying case code. The ready-to-eat ham items were produced by the Seminole County meat processing firm sometime between March 1, 2009 and June 9, 2009 to various wholesalers, delis, and food retailers.

There have been no reports of illness related to the recalled undeclared MSG containing ham products. Questions regarding the recall may be directed to the Oklahoma firm at 866-631-6637 or the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).