Why is there a recall?

One of HelloFresh’s cheese suppliers has announced a voluntary nationwide recall of certain cheese products due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes at one of its cheese producer’s facilities, Rizo-Lopez Foods. Rizo-Lopez Foods produced potentially contaminated Cotija cheese and announced a nationwide recall. Out of an abundance of caution, the supplier has voluntarily recalled additional cheese products, including shredded Monterery Jack cheese, which was packaged on the same line as the recalled Cotija cheese.

__Select HelloFresh meals delivered between 12/2/2023-12/18/2023 may have included the potentially contaminated shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Out of an abundance of caution for our customer’s safety, any potentially impacted customers have been notified and compensated__.

If you have consumed the potentially impacted Monterey Jack shredded cheese and are experiencing any related illness or have other medical concerns, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

What are the potentially impacted meals? The potentially impacted meals delivered between 12/2/2023 - 12/18/2023 include

• Onion Crunch Chicken
• Firehouse Cheeseburgers
• Gimbel’s Santa Cheeseburgers
• Smashed Black Bean Tacos
• BBQ Pineapple Flatbreads
• One-Pan Smashed Black Bean Tacos

Any customers who received the potentially impacted meals and still have shredded Monterey Jack cheese in their possession should discard the cheese immediately.

How do I identify if my meals/ingredients are impacted?

If your order was potentially impacted, you would have received an email from us informing you of which meals may have been affected, is in your possession, Please discard the packets of Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese if you still have this product.

I already consumed the meals. What are the health effects? If you have consumed the Shredded Monterey Jack cheese and you are experiencing illness or you have other medical concerns, please contact your healthcare provider, as recommended by the FDA.To learn more, please visit the official FDA website.

Are my other ingredients/meals contaminated?

The HelloFresh Food Safety team has confirmed this was an isolated, supplier related incident that only impacted select deliveries between 12/2/2023 - 12/18/2023.All potentially impacted customers were notified directly via email and our Food Safety team has confirmed that meals included in any current and future deliveries are not impacted. We take food safety and quality very seriously, and our customers’ safety is our top priority.

Where is the impacted ingredient sourced from?

Unfortunately, HelloFresh is unable to share supplier information. The safety and quality of our meal kits and thereby, our ingredients, is our highest priority. Our Food Safety team can confirm there is no impact to current and future meals.

Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three-minutes before carving or consuming. Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F. Cook all poultry (whole, pieces & ground) to an internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. (ask.usda.gov)

The best way to know if your food is done cooking is to use a food thermometer. When your food reaches a safe internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer, it is done and ready to eat. (ask.usda.gov)

Handwashing is important to the overall cooking process and will help keep you healthy. Wash your hands with soap and water before you start cooking and after each time you touch uncooked or raw meats, poultry, seafood, flour or eggs during cooking.

Handwashing should include these 5 steps:

1. Wet hands.
2. Lather.
3. Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
4. Rinse
5. Dry with clean towel.

(ask.usda.gov)

To ensure food safety, we recommend that you wash all fresh produce prior to consumption, including: fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Fresh produce typically comes straight from the farm, so rinsing or scrubbing your produce is advised. Gently rub produce "skin", such as tomatoes, under cold running water. Scrub firm produce, such as carrots or onions, with a clean produce brush under running water.

Consumers should not wash fruits and vegetables with detergent or soap. These products are not approved or labeled by the Food and Drug Administration for use on foods. (ask.usda.gov)

Do not wash or rinse raw meat or poultry before you cook it. Washing can cause bacteria found on the surface of meat or poultry to be spread to ready-to-eat foods, kitchen utensils, and counter surfaces. This is called cross-contamination. Failure to clean these contaminated areas can lead to foodborne illness. Cooking (baking, broiling, boiling, and grilling) to the right temperature kills the bacteria, so washing food is not necessary. Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria. (ask.usda.gov)

At HelloFresh, the safety and quality of our ingredients is our highest priority. In the event that you experience a food safety issue or concern with your order, please reach out to our Customer Care team. You will be directed to a specialized team of food safety agents who provide dedicated support and assistance. To better aid our investigation process, we may ask for additional information regarding your order (i.e. recipe names, pictures, delivery and packaging information).