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Listeria Causes Pork Sausage Recall

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Custom Corned Beef, Inc., of Denver, Colorado, was recalling approximately 460 pounds of fully cooked crumbled pork sausage products Saturday.  The recall was initiated after testing revealed the product to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  

Products subject to recall are 10-pound boxes with two, 5-pound packages of "POLIDORI, FULLY COOKED PORK SAUSAGE CRUMBLES, KEEP REFRIGERATED/FROZEN." Each box label bears the establishment number "EST. 4121" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
 
The fully cooked crumbled pork sausage products were produced on Apr. 9, 2010, and were distributed to institutional establishments in Colorado.  A federal establishment that had been recently tested by FSIS for Listeria monocytogenes discovered the contamination.  The establishment contracted with a third party laboratory to test the intact packaged product, which was found to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. 

FSIS has not reported any illnesses associated with the consumption of the pork sausage crumbles. 

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 healthcare provider.

Invasive infections with Listeria can be treated with antibiotics. When infection occurs during pregnancy, antibiotics given promptly to the pregnant woman can often prevent infection of the fetus or newborn. Babies with listeriosis receive the same antibiotics as adults, although a combination of antibiotics is often used until physicians are certain of the diagnosis.

Media and consumers with questions about the recall should contact company Plant Manager Al Bandin at (303) 296-8686 (work) or (303) 419-6405 (cell phone).

Full post as published by Food Safety News on May 04, 2010 (boomark / email).