Nissin Foods Voluntary Recall - Shrimp cup of noodles & chow mein products

The Shrimp flavoring that Nissin Foods USA uses in the Shrimp Cup Noodles and Chow Mein products contains some Lobster flavoring. The ingredient panel does not mention the Lobster flavoring, only "Shrimp" flavoring. The FDA has concluded that because some of the population is allergic to Lobster, that this also must be included on the labels. As a result, any product scheduled for shipment this week (w/o 7/23/2007), was cut and we have been advised that NF USA is going to be using flavoring that does NOT contain any Lobster flavor. Production for the new ingredient product will begin and be available for shipments in the very near future and you will know ASAP on the resumption date.
We apologize for this inconvenience to your business and any ad activity that is running or scheduled to run.
As soon as more information is made available, Nissin will inform all of us.

For now - this is what we know - what we need communicated to our customers - and what we need back from each of you.

1.)
Nissin has instituted a total wholesale and retail recall of SHRIMP (ONLY) CUP NOODLES and SHRIMP (ONLY) CHOW MEIN.

2.)
Nissin is also holding current inventory and shipments out of their distribution facilities of other Top Ramen Shrimp / Top Ramen Shrimp Picante / Cup Noodles Shrimp Picante / Cup Noodles Chili Limon / Cup Noodles Salsa Picante Shrimp / Chow Mein Thai Peanut for pending orders. These remain in full distribution and ARE NOT part of the recall.
These items will not be shipping until Nissin production and package changes are competed. They are currently in the works and shipment details will be communicated in a timely manner to customers and sales agents as soon as Nissin is back in production.

3.)
Important to note: This is a VOLUNTARY recall.
To minimize any losses here, please ask our customers to make every effort to pull products into account warehouses - NOT reclamation - so Nissin can pick it up as soon as possible with warehouse stock.

4.)
We need to know the inventories of the products being recalled and held ASAP for major customers....and again make sure we are making all accounts aware of retail and warehouse actions to be taken for pulling product from distribution channels and retail stores.

You can assure each account that Nissin will work their hardest to resume production and distribution of these products as soon as possible...it will be sooner than later !!

Below is a copy of the correspondence sent to our customers from Matt Talle - Nissin National Sales Mgr.

Dear Customer:

We need your help implementing a voluntary recall of selected shrimp-flavored noodle products made by Nissin Foods (USA) Co., Inc. We have initiated a voluntary nationwide recall as a safety precaution out of concern that they might contain cod or lobster.

This recall covers Nissin Original Chow Mein Shrimp and Nissin Cup Noodles Shrimp. No other Nissin products sold in your stores are affected by this recall.

At the time of the recall, our company had received no complaints or reports of illness associated with these products. The recall was initiated as a safety precaution after it was discovered that the seafood-flavored powder used in these Nissin products also contains cod and lobster.

These products were sold to consumers in retail grocery stores and other foods stores, and can be identified by the UPC codes and label information attached.

If you have any of the above products, it should be removed from inventory and retail shelves, set aside and retained for Nissin pick up or shipping instructions. Once you have retrieved all the product, please contact your Nissin Sales Representative. Please do not destroy the product.

Aside from this above mentioned recall, Nissin Foods has decided to hold all shipments of remaining Shrimp items to customer warehouses. These items are Top Ramen Shrimp Flavor, Top Ramen Shrimp Picante, Cup Noodles Shrimp Picante, Cup Noodles Salsa Picante Shrimp, Cup Noodles Chili Limon, and Chow Mein Thai Peanut.

These flavors do not contain cod or lobster and have no health concerns as in the above mentioned recall. However, they may contain krill which is not labeled as an ingredient in our listing. Although this product is safe for consumption, Nissin Foods feels it is our obligation to discontinue the shipment of these products until we have revised our packaging to reflect this fact. We will contact you soon on when we will commence shipping these new packages.

We ask that these items be held at warehouse level until further notification from Nissin Foods on disposition of these products. Please note that these products do not need to be removed from retail shelves nor do they need to be returned by the consumer.

We are working hard to reach consumers to share this information with them as well. You may also provide the following toll-free number, 866-548-2945, to consumers who have questions.

Most importantly, we want to reassure you that at Nissin Foods our first concern is always for the health and safety of consumers.

Your prompt cooperation will greatly assist us in this action. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Nissin Sales Representative. In the meantime, we look forward to working with you and to continuing to provide you and your customers with the highest quality products.

Sincerely,



Matt Talle
National Sales Manager
Nissin Foods USA Co., Inc


Product Listing Covered by Recall
July 20, 2007

Nissin Foods (USA) Inc.

Brand/Product Description
UPC Packaging Codes
Nissin Cup Noodles Shrimp
70662-03002-8
Nissin Original Chow Mein Shrimp
70662-08722-0



Nissin Cup Noodles Shrimp
INGREDIENTS: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CANOLA OIL, COTTONSEED OIL, PALM OIL, RICE OIL) PRESERVED BY TOCOPHEROLS AND/OR TBHQ AND/OR ASCORBYL PALMITATE, SALT, DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES (CARROT, GREEN PEA), FREEZE-DRIED SHRIMP, SOY SAUCE POWDER (WHEAT, SOYBEANS, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, HYDROLYZED SOY, CORN AND WHEAT PROTEIN, SPICES, CARAMEL COLOR, POTASSIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, PORK POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORS, CHICKEN POWDER, SODIUM ALGINATE, DISODIUM SUCCINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, SHRIMP POWDER, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, COD LIVER OIL.
Nissin Original Chow Mein Shrimp
INGREDIENTS: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CANOLA OIL, COTTONSEED OIL, PALM OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, PEANUT OIL, SESAME OIL), PRESERVED BY TOCOPHEROLS AND/OR BHT AND/OR BHA AND/OR TBHQ AND/OR ASCORBYL PALMITATE, SALT, SUGARS, FREEZE-DRIED SHRIMP, DEHYDRATED VEGETABLE (GARLIC, RED BELL PEPPER, PARSLEY), GARLIC POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORS, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SPICES, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, WHEAT, SALT), MALTODEXTRIN, ONION POWDER, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, SHRIMP POWDER, POTASSIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM CARBONATE, HYDROLYZED CORN GLUTEN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM ALGINATE, DEXTROSE, PAPRIKA COLOR, CARAMEL COLOR, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED BUTTER, COD LIVER OIL, GUAR GUM, BONITO POWDER, TOMATO POWDER, TURMERIC COLOR, ANNATTO COLOR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.

-END-


Sincerely,

Maggie Wineland
Administrator, Sales Department Nissin Foods
mwineland@nissinfoods.com
(310)527-5766