MONTGOMERY – The Department of Agriculture and Industries Food Safety division today implemented three Class I recalls issued by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A Class I recall is a potential health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
“The department’s Food Safety division is committed to implementing these recalls in all retail establishments throughout the state. A Class I recall takes top priority with our food safety inspectors, they want to assure consumers that these potentially hazardous products are removed from all store shelves,” said Commissioner John McMillan of the Department of Agriculture & Industries.
The first recall concerns ground beef products; the second, diced bacon products; and the third, various layer dip products containing guacamole.
The National Beef Packing Company issued a voluntary recall of ground beef products produced at its Dodge City, Kansas production facility that may be adulterated with E. coli O157:H7. The problem was discovered as a result of routine microbial testing conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture at a state-inspected facility that had purchased these products for further processing. A trace back investigation revealed that the slaughter facility, National Beef Packing Co. products were the sole source for the positive product sample.
Consumption of products containing E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to food-borne illness. The recall was initiated out of an abundance of caution for consumer safety, even though no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products have been received.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 deg F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.
These products contain ground chuck and were sold in Publix and Winn-Dixie grocery stores in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Customers can contact the National Beef toll-free hotline at 1-877-800-6848. Additional resources include the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-674-6854 and www.FightBAC.org .”
The second recall was issued from Aliments Prince, S.E.C., an establishment from Ontario, Canada. They are recalling approximately 380,000 pounds of diced bacon products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Through routine testing, FSIS found a sample of cooked diced bacon imported from Aliments Prince, S.E.C. to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The initial product represented by that sample was refused entry. An in-depth investigation by the firm and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency into the root cause of the Listeria monocytogenes finding resulted in a recall of all precooked bacon products from the Canadian firm. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. 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. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.
The third recall was issued by Fresh Food Concepts, Inc. of Buena Park, California. They are voluntarily recalling various Layer Dip products containing guacamole because the avocado has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. A list of these recalled products is available at www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm267933.htm.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.