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Listeria Scare Brings Recall in Louisiana

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

A half million pounds of "ready to eat" sausages and hog headcheeses are being recalled in Louisiana for possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry's Office of Animal Health and Food Safety said Veron Foods, LLC, based in Prairieville, LA, produced the 500,000 pounds sausage and cheese that is being recalled.
Included in the recall are: 

• All Size Packages of Veron Hot Smoked Sausage
• All Size Packages of Veron Mild Smoked Sausage      
• All Size Packages of Martin Hot Smoked Sausage
• All Size Packages of Martin Mild Smoked Sausage
• All Size Packages of Veron Andouille Sausage
• All Size Packages of Martin Andouille Sausage
• All Size Packages of Veron Hog Head Cheese

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number "LA 22" inside the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry mark of inspection as well as date codes of 010110 through 111310 and were distributed to retail establishments and institutions within the state of Louisiana. The contamination of the ready-to-eat products was discovered through a foodborne illness investigation that resulted in a product sample testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal illness. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, and can also cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. Infection can spread to the nervous system, resulting in high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, confusion, and convulsions. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that firms notify their customers (including restaurants) of a recall and that steps are taken to make certain that a suspect product is no longer available to consumers. Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Veron Food LLC, at 225-622-3262.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on August 16, 2010 (boomark / email).