OSCAR MAYER RECALLS DELI MEAT FOR LISTERIA
WASHINGTON,
January 15, 1999--Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation, a Madison, Wisconsin meat processing
firm, is voluntarily recalling 28,313 pounds of deli meat that may be contaminated with Listeria
monocytogenes bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and
Inspection Service announced today.
Subject to
recall are two variety pack deli meats, "OSCAR MAYER All American Variety Pack, 10
oz." and "OSCAR MAYER Club Sandwich Variety Pack, 9 oz." with the JAN 12
date in the upper left corner on the back of the package. In addition, packages bear EST
537A or P-1449 in the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection mark.
Products were
sliced and packaged on October 29, 1998, and distributed nationwide within the U.S. and
also to Singapore, Bermuda, Aruba, St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
"Because of
the potential of foodborne illness, we urge consumers who have purchased the suspect
product not to eat it and to return it to the point of purchase," said Thomas J.
Billy, administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Based on a
report of a consumer illness in Kansas City, Missouri, FSIS tested intact packages of the
Oscar Mayer product. A positive result for Listeria monocytogenes prompted
the recall.
At this point
FSIS has no evidence linking this product to the nationwide listeriosis outbreak, which is
still under joint FSIS and CDC investigation.
Consumption of
food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon
but potentially serious disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. The most
common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms of high fever,
severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and
stillbirths among pregnant women, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in
those with weakened immune systems--infants, the frail or elderly, and persons with
chronic disease or HIV infection or taking chemotherapy for cancer.
Anyone concerned
about an illness should contact a physician.
Consumers with
questions about the recall may phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at
1-800-535-4555. The hotline can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday
through Friday.
Consumers may
also contact the company at 1-800-433-9362 from 7 a.m. CST to 10 p.m. CST.
#
NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the
FSIS Web site on the World Wide Web at http://www.fsis.usda.gov
Note to Editors: Media inquiries to Oscar Mayer should be
directed to Kathy Knuth at (847) 646-2666.
|
