Nov. 6, 2026 is the date on a federal alert covering three frozen Dutch-style snacks sold under the Betterballen name, according to the bulletin from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The alert is not a recall, and it applies to products sold over the internet: frozen Bitterballen, Saté Kroketten and Bami Rolls whose labels leave off sesame.
FSIS says the beef product also contains Worcestershire sauce made with anchovy, which is missing from the label as well. Packages from the affected lots should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
The Three Products and Their Lot Codes
The FSIS bulletin lists three frozen, not-ready-to-eat items, all in clear vacuum-packed packages marked “BEST BY” October 2027. Each was produced on Oct. 15, Oct. 16 or Oct. 27, 2026, and FSIS posted the product labels alongside the alert.
The packages to look for are: 6-piece “Bami Rolls,” lot codes BR-2026-01 and BR-2026-02. 10-piece “Saté Kroketten,” lot code SK-1026-01. 12-piece “Bitterballen,” lot code BB-1026-01.
Every affected package carries establishment number “EST. M3177” or “EST. P3177” inside the USDA mark of inspection, so that mark is a quick way to confirm a match before checking the lot code.
What the Labels Leave Out
FSIS says the products contain sesame, a known allergen, that is not declared on the labels. The beef product also contains Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovy, a fish allergen that is likewise not declared. On kitchen upkeep, craftingyourhome.com has a post titled 9 Habits of People Who Always Have a Clean House.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration keeps sesame on its list of nine major food allergens, and its food allergies page points to labeling requirements for tree nuts, sesame, milk, eggs and more. That is why a missing line on a package counts as a misbranding problem.
The anchovy detail is a reminder of how Worcestershire sauce works. Wikipedia’s entry on Worcestershire sauce lists anchovies among its ingredients and notes that anchovy-free versions exist.
Where the Snacks Were Sold
FSIS says Lowlands House sold the items for internet sales nationwide. The bulletin adds that they may also have been sold at a festival and a farmers market in Greer, South Carolina.
The company contact listed in the alert is Brian Kops, owner of Betterballen Foods LLC. Food Safety News, in its coverage of the alert, repeated the same product list and lot codes. On kitchen storage, craftingyourhome.com has a post titled 8 Things That Don’t Belong on a Kitchen Counter.
Because the snacks are frozen, packages bought online may still be sitting in a home freezer. That is the concern FSIS names: some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Frenz Hub has a post titled Best Practices for Seasonal Storage.
A Dutch Snack in a Home Freezer
Bitterballen are a Dutch snack. Wikipedia’s entry on bitterballen describes a thick beef stew thickened with roux, chilled until firm, rolled into balls, breaded and fried. They are usually served hot with mustard, often alongside drinks. Holiday-season cooking is the subject of Frenz Hub’s comparison titled Free Up the Oven This Thanksgiving: COSORI vs Ninja Air Fryer vs Ninja Flip Toaster Oven.
The larger oblong kroketten named in the alert are close cousins of bitterballen, and food customs in other countries are the subject of Frenz Hub’s post titled 12 Laws And Rules About Food In Other Countries.
Why FSIS Did Not Ask for a Recall
A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase, FSIS says. That is the main difference between this notice and a recall: no company is pulling stock from shelves, because none is left to sell.
The alert still matters for anyone who bought earlier. FSIS says the problem was discovered during a routine label review, and it urges consumers who bought the products not to eat them. The agency’s wording is plain: throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.
The practical step for a household is the one FSIS spells out: matching the package to the lot code and establishment number, then discarding it or returning it to the place of purchase.
Who to Contact With Questions
FSIS gives two phone options. Questions about the alert can go to Brian Kops of Betterballen Foods LLC at 312-340-4823. General food safety questions can go to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854), or by email to [email protected].
FSIS also runs an online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System at foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/, open 24 hours a day, for reporting a problem with a meat, poultry or egg product.
A Short Reality Check
This is an FSIS alert, dated Nov. 6, 2026, not a recall. It covers three Betterballen frozen items with specific lot codes and one establishment number, and it concerns missing sesame and anchovy labeling.
The alert is narrow. The products were sold by one online seller, possibly at a festival and a farmers market in Greer, South Carolina, and FSIS says they are no longer available for purchase. For anyone who did order them, the instruction is the one in the bulletin: do not eat them, and either discard or return them.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Takeaway – CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons
