Listeria Contaminations Causing Multiple Recalls of Meat and Produce in the U.S. and Canada

Over the last few weeks, a number of companies across the U.S. and Canada have been recalling one-to-several of their meat and produce products because they either tested positive for the Listeria bacterium or because their products had ingredients from other companies that tested positive.

Graphic courtesy of kmvt.com.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a person with the bacterium “usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition to fever and muscle aches, symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.”

“Pregnant women typically experience only a mild, flu-like illness. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn,” adds the CDC.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is monitoring the recalls, said that for a healthy person, the symptoms are “only short-term,” but a visit to the doctor with information about your possible exposure to the bacterium is recommended.

Among the companies testing positive for the bacterium is Enslin & Son Packing Co., which is recalling about 314 pounds of sausage product, commercially purchased as “Cedar Grove Red Hots,” in 1.5 lb. to 2 lb. packages.

The problem was discovered through a sample testing positive for the bacterium, but the products were shipped out prior to the company getting the test results back from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Each package has the number P-31806 inside the USDA mark of inspection and contains a use or freeze by date of 9-24-2012 or 9-28-2012. The products were produced on July 16, 2012, and distributed to retailers in Pennsylvania and Mississippi. So far no illnesses have been reported in association with the products.

The FDA is also “warning consumers not to purchase or consume any products from the Mexicali Cheese Corp.” after the bacterium was found in the company’s finished products. The products are packaged in ridged 14 oz. plastic tubs that display the plant number 36-0128 and the code 071512.

The following Mexicali product names are on the recalled packages:

• Mexicali Queso Fresco Mexicano, Mexican Style Fresh Cheese
• Acatlan Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese
• Mi Quesito Mexicano, Mexican Cheese
• Quesillo Ecuatoriano, Ecuadorian Style Cheese

The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets issued the Mexicali warning on July 2, 2012 after a routine sample of cheese tested positive for Listeria.

There is also a permanent injunction decree in place, issued May 1, 2012, requiring Mexicali to stop manufacturing and distributing any food products until it has “completed FDA-approved measures to correct food safety deficiencies, decontaminate its facilities, and take other steps needed to comply with the law. The company did not comply with these requirements,” said the FDA. So far though, there have been no illnesses associated with any of the products.

Alternatively, Gills Onions LLC is has initiated a voluntary recall  of a single day’s production of whole peeled, sliced, and slivered red and yellow onions as well as the company’s diced celery and onion mix because of concerns about Listeria contamination.

The voluntary recall was initiated when the company was notified by the FDA that a random sample of diced yellow onions taken from a retail store tested positive for Listeria. As a precautionary measure, Gills is recalling the following products processed on that day.

Gills Onions’ Product Recall

United States Recalls: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington

	Product Description	Use-by-date	UPCode
	Diced Yellow Onions, 7 oz., “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000405
	Diced Red Onions, 7 oz.,  “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000412
	Slivered Yellow Sweet Onions, 5oz., “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000092
	Slivered Red Onions, 5 oz., “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000009
	Diced Celery and Onion, 7 oz. , “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000429
	Diced Celery and Onion, 19 oz., “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000351
	Diced Yellow Onions, 5 lb. bag, “True Leaf” label	Before Aug. 4	898634001018
	Whole Peeled Yellow Onions,  “Western Onion” label	Before Aug. 4	02060042553
	Diced Yellow Onions, 8 oz. clear plastic containers sold in Wegmans stores in Syracuse, NY	Before Aug. 4	643550000498
	Diced Celery and Onions, 8 oz. clear plastic containers sold in Wegmans stores in Syracuse, NY	Before Aug. 4	643550000504

Canada Recalls: Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario

	Product Description	Use-by-date	UPCode
	Diced Yellow Onions, “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000443
	Diced Red Onions, “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000450
	Diced Celery & Onions, “Gills Onions” label	Before Aug. 4	643550000467

Gills is notifying all of its retail and other customers that received the products, and asking them to remove them from sales and use. Among them is Garden Fresh Foods, which is recalling about 13,600 pounds of meat and poultry salad products because they contain diced onions from Gills.

The Garden Fresh Foods products being recalled are:

• 8 lb. packages of “Finest Traditions Spiral Pasta and Chicken Salad” with product code 38576 and lot number 08171201
•  4 lb. packages, 2 per case of “Finest Traditions Chicken Salad Spread” with product code 38886 and lot number 08201201 or 08151201
• 12 oz. packages, 6 per case of “Finest Traditions Chicken Salad Spread” with product code 38892 and lot number 08201201, or 08151201
• 8 lb. packages of “Finest Traditions Gemelli Pasta & Chicken Salad” with product code 38578 and lot number 08151201 or 08161201
• 5 lb. packages of “Garden Fresh All White Meat Chicken Salad With Cranberries” with product code 5114 and lot number 08201201, 08201202, 08151201, or 08151202
• 5 lb. packages of “Garden Fresh Chicken Salad” with product code 5113 and lot number 08201201, or 08171201
• 5 lb. packages of “Garden Fresh Premium Chicken Salad” with product code 5167 and lot number 08151201, or 08121201
• 5 lb. packages, 4 per case, of “Garden Fresh Reduced Fat Chicken Salad” with product code 5305 and lot number 08141201, or 18171201
• 5 lb. packages of “Garden Fresh Reduced Fat Chicken Salad” with product code 5306 and lot number 08141201, or 18171201
• 12 oz. packages, 6 per case of “Market Pantry Chicken Salad With All White Meat Chicken” with product code 24103 and lot number 08191201, 08191202, 08191203, 08191204, 08191205, 08191206, 08191207, or 08191208
• 5 lb. packages of “Weis Ham Salad” with product code 5212 and lot number 08161201
• 8 oz. packages, 9 per case of “Weis Ham Salad” with product code 05334 and lot number 08151202
• 12 oz. packages, 6 per case of “Garden Fresh Chicken Salad” with product code 6164 and lot number 08171201

All the products were produced between July 10 and July 16, 2012. The packages have either the establishment number “P-17256” or “Est. 17256” inside the USDA mark of inspection and have the lot number ink jetted on the package.

The lot number indicates the product’s expiration date. For example, lot number “081912xx” indicates an expiration date of August 19, 2012. The products were distributed to retailers and establishments nationwide. No illnesses have been reported so far in relation to the products.

Huxtable’s Kitchen is also recalling products due to concerns of possibly contaminated onions. The company is recalling its:

• 14.5-oz trays of “TRADER JOE’S BBQ CHICKEN SALAD.”

The recalled products have the establishment number “P-11079” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Each package also has a sticker with use-by dates through July 30, 2012. The products were produced between July 20, 2012, and July 24, 2012, and were distributed to retailers in Arizona, New Mexico, Southern California, Southern Nevada and Texas. There have been no illnesses so far associated with these products.

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