California
Firm Recalls Chicken Products Due To Possible
Listeria Contamination
Recall
Release
CLASS
I RECALL
FSIS-RC-019-2008
HEALTH
RISK:
HIGH
Congressional
and Public Affairs (202) 720-9113 Peggy Riek
WASHINGTON, June 9, 2008
- Gourmet Foods, Inc., a Rancho
Dominquez, Calif., firm, is recalling
approximately 130 pounds of various ready-to-eat
chicken products that may be contaminated with
Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and
Inspection Service announced today.
The
following products are subject to recall: [View
Labels]
17-ounce packages of "Famima!! CHICKEN
TERIYAKI BOWL WITH SAUCE ON RICE, KEEP
REFRIGERATED / PERISHABLE." Each package bears
the establishment number "EST. P-7738" inside
the USDA mark of inspection, as well as a "SELL
BY" date of "06/04/08," "06/05/08," "06/06/08"
or "06/07/08."
12.85-ounce packages of "Famima!! THAI STYLE
CHICKEN WITH RICE, PEANUT SAUCE AND VEGETABLES,
KEEP REFRIGERATED / PERISHABLE." Each package
bears the establishment number "EST. P-7738"
inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as a
"SELL BY" date of "06/04/08," "06/05/08,"
"06/06/08" or "06/07/08."
Recommendations
For People At Risk For Listeriosis
Wash hands with warm, soapy water before
and after handling raw meat and poultry for at
least 20 seconds. Wash cutting boards, dishes
and utensils with hot, soapy water. Immediately
clean spills.
Keep raw meat, fish and
poultry away from other food that will not be
cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw
meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats,
bologna or other deli meats unless reheated
until steaming hot.
Do not eat
refrigerated pâté, meat spreads from a meat
counter or smoked seafood found in the
refrigerated section of the store. Foods that
don't need refrigeration, like canned tuna and
canned salmon, are safe to eat. Refrigerate
after opening.
Do not drink raw
(unpasteurized) milk and do not eat foods that
have unpasteurized milk in them.
Do not
eat salads made in the store such as ham salad,
chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad or seafood
salad.
Do not eat soft cheeses such as
Feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, Brie,
Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses and
Panela unless it is labeled as made with
pasteurized milk.
Use precooked or
ready-to-eat food as soon as you can. Listeria
can grow in the refrigerator. The refrigerator
should be 40 °F or lower and the freezer 0 °F or
lower. Use an appliance thermometer to check the
temperature of your refrigerator.
These
ready-to-eat chicken products were distributed to
retail establishments in the Los Angeles, Calif.,
area. Consumers that may have purchased these
ready-to-eat chicken products at retail
establishments between June 2 and June 7 are urged
to check their refrigerators and freezers and
discard them if found.
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,
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 problem
was discovered through microbiological sampling by
FSIS. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses
associated with consumption of these products.
Anyone with signs of symptoms of foodborne illness
should consult a medical professional.
Media and consumers with questions about
this recall should contact company Quality
Assurance Manager Abelardo Rodriguez at (310)
632-3300.
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.
This is a health hazard situation
where there is a reasonable probability that the
use of the product will cause serious, adverse
health consequences or death.
Class II
This is a health hazard situation
where there is a remote probability of adverse
health consequences from the use of the product.
Class III
This is a situation where the use of
the product will not cause adverse health
consequences.
