New York Firm's Meat And Poultry Products Recalled

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Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 06 May 2008 - 14:00 PDT

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A New York meat company is recallling over 286,000 pounds of fresh and frozen meat and poultry products because they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially fatal bacterium that causes listeriosis.

Gourmet Boutique LLC, of Jamaica New York, is voluntarily recalling a range of potentially contaminated fresh meat, poultry salad and frozen products, that was sent to outlets all over the US, said the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) yesterday, 5th May.

The poultry salad and fresh meat products were made between 19th and 24th April 2008, and the frozen products were made between 23rd October 2007 and 23rd April 2008, said the FSIS announcement.

The contamination was discovered by tests carried out by FSIS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. No illnesses linked to the affected products have been reported, said the FSIS statement.

People at risk of listeriosis should always take the following precautions, said the agency:

• Before and after handling raw meat and poultry, wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
• Wash cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot, soapy water and clean spills up immediately.
• Keep raw meat, fish, poultry away from food that will not be cooked.
• Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
• Don't eat hot dogs, luncheon meat, bologna, and other deli meat products unless you reheat it until it is steaming hot.
• Foods like canned tuna and canned salmon, that don't need refrigeration, are safe to eat.
• But you need to refrigerate them once the can is opened.
• Don't drink raw (unpasteurized) milk nor eat foods that contain it.
• Don't eat salads made in store, such as ham, chicken, egg, tuna or seafood salad.
• Don't eat soft cheeses unless made with pasteurized milk.
• This includes: Feta, quesco blanco, quesco fresco, Brie, Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses and Panela.
• Don't eat refrigerated pate and meat spreads from meat counter or smoked seafood found in the refrigerated section of the store.
• Listeria can continue to grow in the refrigerator.
• Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) or lower.
• Keep the freezer at 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C) or lower.
• Use pre-cooked or ready to eat food as soon as you can after purchase.

Eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal illness that poses greater risk to people with weakended immune systems such as babies, the elderly and people with HIV or having chemotherapy. It rarely affects healthy people.

Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If the infection spreads to the nervous system, it can cause headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions.

Click here for further information and to see the full list of Gourmet Boutique products that are being recalled (FSIS product recall details, PDF).

Click here for Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention.

Sources: FSIS press statement, Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today