Salami maker, shut down by state, seeks donations

By Meatingplace Editors on 5/9/2014

http://www.meatingplace.com/

The state of Wisconsin has shut down a small producer of specialty salami in Milwaukee that was the subject of a recall last month for incorrect labeling, prompting the company to solicit donations for its legal fees and other costs.

Bolzano Artisan Meats contends it got on the bad side of officials in Wisconsin’s Agriculture Department by exposing ways the state is hurting small businesses.

A state official told the Journal Sentinelnewspaper that the company changed how it processes its meat but didn't provide enough verification to show that the process was safe.

The company contends the state action led to the destruction of about $50,000 worth of salami that USDA had declared to be safe and wholesome.

But a USDA spokesman told the paper Bolzano’s plant is state-licensed and has never been under federal inspection.

USDA in April said Bolzano recalled about 5,723 pounds of salami for misbranding because the products were produced without federal inspection but bore a USDA mark of inspection. The company was using new labels before meeting all federal requirements allowing it to do so.

Bolzano, which uses a production method that skips cooking in favor of slow fermenting and drying, said it would like to re-launch the company under USDA inspection. It had raised $3,365 toward its $40,000 goal as of late Thursday afternoon, according to the Indiegogo.com site.