Health Law

MDA consumer advisory: Parkers Farm expands product recall

By Bill Marler

ST. PAUL, Minn. –The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is alerting consumers to an expansion of the January 8, 2010, product recall issued by Parkers Farm, Inc., of Coon Rapids, Minnesota. The company has expanded its voluntary product recall to include all products produced under its label, as well as a number of products marketed under other labels and produced at its Coon Rapids facility. The company took this action after further investigation by MDA determined that all products produced at the company's Coon Rapids facility may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

A complete list of recalled product can be found at the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us.

According to Parkers Farm, the products subject to recall were distributed in retail stores nationwide including Hy-Vee, Cub, Rainbow, Lunds/Byerly's, Target, Whole Foods, Jewel, Dominicks, Marsh, Price Chopper, Shop Rite, Nash Finch, Sams Club, Costco, Safeway, Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Aldi stores. Parkers Farm asks consumers who have purchased these products to return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.

To this point, no illnesses have been linked with this recall. However, consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease marked by fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis, but it can sometimes cause fatal infections in infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis can also lead to miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women. Any consumers who believe they may have become ill after eating the products should contact their health care provider.

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on January 15, 2010 (boomark / email).