SHILOH – Five days after recalling approximately 450,000 pounds of meat, Newswanger Meats of Shiloh reopened Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 8 a.m.

Recalling this significant amount of product wasn’t easy for the family-owned-and-operated butcher shop. But it was the right precaution to take, according to manager and partial owner Galen Newswanger.

On Friday, Oct. 13, the Shiloh-based butcher shop announced a voluntary recall of approximately 450,000 pounds of meat produced over the past 11 months in possibly insanitary conditions. This was an expansion on an earlier recall, announced Saturday, Oct. 7, which involved fresh not frozen beef, pork, chicken and sliced deli products. The more recent of the two recalls also includes venison, rabbit and various dried meat snacks.

According to a press release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the meats were produced with a water supply that failed to meet the Ohio Department of Health’s requirements for an approved private water system.

Wednesday morning, Newswanger said the problem has been addressed and he had approval to move forward. The business is hauling in water for production until a more permanent fix is put in place. 

“We will have the fresh meat deli stocked when we open and will add the smoked meats and lunch meats as we produce them over the next few days,” Newswanger said Wednesday morning. 

He expects most items will be stocked at the Shiloh shop by Saturday. 

Newswanger noted that a routine water sample was pulled on Oct. 4 from a part of the shop that’s not used for processing. The results were received on Oct. 6, and Newswanger said he immediately had water sampled from the processing area via a private agency.

“It was negative. However, we still need to assume the sample was taken properly and was positive,” he said. “That’s the assumption we’re using to base the recall on.”

The recall includes items produced between Nov. 7, 2016 and Oct. 4, 2017 because the company’s last water sample was taken in November 2016. 

The department of agriculture’s press release says the water system is considered a “non-potable water supply, which could result in the creation of unsanitary conditions and potential direct product contamination leading to adulteration of the products processed in the facility during this time period.”

“Using the assumption that the test was positive, there’s no way to know when it would have potentially been bad,” Newswanger said.  

In response to the situation, Newswanger Meats closed for production purposes when the results of the first water sample were received. In the meantime, Newswanger said, normal business hours were in effect for people to return recalled products. While there have been no reports of illness involving products addressed in this recall, the butcher shop is encouraging people to discard or return the affected products.

Newswanger says the department of agriculture will not be performing a follow-up test because the test results flagged another problem. The company was using a private water system, which was not approved as a public water system. 

“Until they told me that on Friday, I had no idea that wasn’t allowed,” Newswanger said.

He explained the water supply was tested on numerous other occasions, and this was never brought to his attention. 

“The new gameplan is to use a temporary system for now,” Newswanger said.

Newswanger Meats plans to haul in water for production until a well can be drilled. 

A list of retailers and distributors that sell Newswanger Meats products can be seen here.

Newswanger thanks customers for their “support and patience,” as this situation is addressed.