Why Home Run Inn Is Recalling Its Frozen Sausage Pizza

U.S. food recalls typically happen for one of a few basic reasons. In 2021, for example, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), there were 47 total food recalls, 26% of which were because of harmful bacteria like E.coli or salmonella, and 26% of which involved undeclared allergens or unapproved ingredients. Another 19%, meanwhile, were recalled due to import violations, and a further 19% due to contamination from extraneous materials, meaning something got into the product that wasn't supposed to be there. Those four reasons alone accounted for 90% of food recalls last year.

Which of these reasons was responsible for the recent recall of over 13,000 pounds of frozen meat pizza product by Home Run Inn Frozen Foods? The pizzas were tainted with extraneous materials, reports the FSIS. More specifically, the recall was spurred by reports of metal pieces being discovered by consumers of the Illinois-based company's Chicago's premium pizzeria deluxe sausage classic pizza, which had already been distributed to retail stores and was available for purchase. Fortunately, no one who has eaten the pizzas has been hurt by the metal, but the FSIS believes, despite the recall, that some of the pizzas that were sold are still being stored in home freezers.

There are several easy ways to confirm whether you have bought any of the recalled frozen pizzas. Only one product was affected: 33.5 ounce boxes of Home Run Inn's Chicago's premium pizzeria deluxe sausage classic pizza. Per the FSIS, all these pies were made on the same day (June 6, 2022) and have the same "best by" date of December 3, 2022. 

Another important identifying mark is the establishment number, which according to the FSIS, is given by law to all food items which include meat, poultry, or eggs. Home Run Inn's recalled pizza lists sausage and uncured pepperoni among its ingredients, and thus has an establishment number — 18498-A — which the FSIS notes should be distinctively displayed within the USDA's inspection mark.

There is no news as yet on how the metal pieces ended up in the pizzas. As Time observes, these issues are often caused by pieces of metal machinery that have splintered off during the food production process. Regardless of the cause, if you have one of the recalled pizzas in your freezer, don't eat it. The FSIS recommends tossing it in the trash or returning it to the store where it was bought.