A public health alert has been issued by the USDA for several types of Ivar’s Soups because the products may have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions that may have caused premature spoilage. A recall was not requested because the items are no longer available for consumers to purchase.
The products include:
48 ounce packages containing two 24 ounce cups of “Ivar’s PUGET SOUND CLAM CHOWDER WITH BACON” with the Use By dates 4/26/2023, 4/27/2023, 5/3/2023, 5/4/2023, 5/5/2023, 5/11/2023, 5/23/2023, 5/30/2023, 6/2/2023, 6/6/2023, 6/7/2023, 7/5/2023, 7/20/2023, 8/1/2023, 8/10/2023, and 8/17/2023.
48 ounce packages containing two 24 ounce cups of “Ivar’s Loaded Baked Potato Soup” with the Use By dates 5/9/2023, 5/19/2023, 6/16/2023, and 7/18/2023.
48 ounce packages containing two 24 ounce cups of “Ivar’s Rustic Zuppa Toscana Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup” with the Use By dates 4/30/2023, 5/2/2023, 5/14/2023, 5/15/2023, 5/21/2023, 5/22/2023, and 5/30/2023.
20 ounce cups of “Ivar’s PUGET SOUND Clam Chowder WITH BACON” with the Use By dates 4/26/2023, 5/5/2023, 6/6/2023, 7/20/2023, and 8/10/2023.
20 ounce cups of “PIKE PLACE FISH MARKET WORLD FAMOUS CLAM CHOWDER WITH BACON” with the Use By dates 5/4/2023, 7/5/2023, and 8/1/2023.
These products all have the establishment number “EST. 20173” that is stamped inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to retail locations nationwide and were also exported to Mexico. You can see pictures of the recalled products at the USDA web site.
The problem was discovered when the company told FSIS that they had received multiple consumer complaints that the soup packages were bloated. The company found that the soups had spoiled prematurely. And lab testing of these Ivar’s Soups found that the prematurely spoiled products contained high levels of spoilage bacteria. This type of contamination can cause illness in people who have compromised immune systems.
If you bought these products, which can be frozen, do not eat them, even if you plan to heat them. Some bacteria can produce toxins as they grow that are not destroyed by heat. You can throw the soups away in a secure trash can after first double bagging them, or you can take them back to the store where you purchased them for a full refund.
