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Listeria Test Prompts Sandwich Recall

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

A Massachusetts company has recalled 5,250 pounds of "Blimpie" ready-to-eat frozen beef sandwich portions because they may be contaminated with Llisteria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced late Friday.

 FSIS said it has received no reports of illnesses in connection with the sandwiches and that the bacteria was detected through testing by the manufacturer, Home Market Foods Inc. of Norwood, Mass.

The recall applies to 3.5-ounce, individually wrapped "Blimpie fully cooked seasoned beef shaved steaks thinkly sliced with onions'' made Nov. 14, 17, 18 and 20th and distributed to retail outlets in the Atlanta metro area, California, Florida, Illinois and New York.

Each label bears the establishment number "2727" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The corresponding Julian date codes are "3198," "3228," and "3238.''

Initial symptoms of listeriosis are usually flu-like. Because most people are resistant to the illness and contamination is relatively rare, listeriosis is uncommon. However, certain populations are much more susceptible to infection, and of the 1,000 to 2,500 people who are infected each year in the U.S,, 25 percent die as a result of the infection. 

Listeriosis also can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. Listeria outbreaks are most commonly associated with ready-to-eat meat foods, including hot dogs and sandwiches. 

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on November 29, 2008 (boomark / email).