The Montana Department of Livestock issued a low-level public health alert on Thursday after inspectors found a handful of mislabeled products from Lower Valley Processing near Kalispell had been distributed.

According to the alert, the meat processing plant “produced and distributed an unknown quantity of ready-to-eat products that did not meet regulatory requirements for labeling.” The problem was discovered by the Meat and Poultry Inspection Bureau of the Montana Department of Livestock.

Ten products from the facility made the list, including various hot dogs, beef pastrami, several sausages including the Chicken Cheddar Fiesta and Smoked Turkey Teriyaki sausages, brown sugar smoked boneless hams, “mountain man sticks” and others. Labeling issues for the products range from sodium nitrate being left off the ingredient list, a meat being labeled as “pork” when it should be “beef,” and others.

According to Gary Hamel, state director for the Department of Livestock, the public health alert is considered minimal in nature and “there is no cause for alarm.” Hamel and Jeremy Plummer, one of the owners of Lower Valley Processing, said inspectors and plant employees determined the labeling issues were largely due to printing problems in which words or letters were cut off during the label printing process.

“One of our machines was a little off, so for instance if something said ‘maple’ the ‘le’ was missing,” Plummer explained. “But we’re fixing that and we’re working close with the department and their people in charge of labeling to make sure everything is as it should be.”

Hamel said the majority of products were taken “out of commerce” quickly by Lower Valley Processing personnel who went to their wholesale locations and reacquired the products for inspection and relabeling.

“It’s important to note the establishment worked immediately to get products that didn’t have proper labeling. Lower Valley has a history of working to make sure they are in compliance with everything. ” Hamel said. “This is just an alert that’s low-level to notify the public that may have some of the products in their fridges that there might be something in the product they don’t wish to consume, or something they might be sensitive to.”

Hamel said the products were assessed by a recall committee comprised of meat scientists, veterinarians, a microbiologist and others. The committee determined a recall was not necessary.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products, and individuals who believe they have any of the mislabeled products should discard them or return them to the place of purchase.

For further questions revolving specific products or the health alert, contact Lower Valley Processing at 752-2846.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com