The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Monday that Zemco Industries, based in Buffalo, N.Y., has recalled 380,000 pounds of deli meat that may be contaminated with bacteria.
"Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis," USDA said.
"However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy," according to USDA.
The meat products in question were distributed to Walmarts nationwide. Inspectors discovered the bacteria in a retail sample collected in Georgia.
The recalled products' dates of manufacture were June 18 through July 2, 2010, and they have "use by" dates of Aug. 20 to Sept. 10, 2010. They are branded "Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches."
USDA designated this as a "Class I" recall, meaning "there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."
For more information about the specific products recalled, visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_049_2010_Release/index.asp.
08/24/10
UNITED STATES: Nationwide Meat Recall Announced
Source: CNN.com; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention