The Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. ordered a voluntary recall Saturday of 15,684 packages of possibly undercooked wieners that were distributed in Illinois and six other states.
Most of the hot dogs, prepared Nov. 25 and shipped in mid-December, have likely been sold or consumed, and no health problems had been reported as of Saturday, said Tom Ruble, manager of consumer response for the Madison, Wis.- based company.
Eating an undercooked wiener could cause stomachaches or diarrhea, Ruble said.
The one-pound packages, containing 10 hot dogs in twin plastic wraps, bear the label ”63 Use by Feb. 13 D Est. 537A” and were shipped to Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Ruble said. Consumers who bought the wieners can return them to the place of purchase or call the company at 1-800-222-2323 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. to receive a coupon for a free replacement package, Ruble said.
A retailer in Indianapolis noticed ”some red juice” in one package Friday, and Oscar Mayer officials suspect the wieners were not fully cooked at the necessary 151 degrees, which could lead to bacteria growth, Ruble said. Oscar Mayer officials are cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors, Ruble said.
