Soo Singapore Extra Hot Beef Jerky Recalled from California for Listeria

WASHINGTON, June 20, 1996--Lian Hwa Foods, Inc., a distributor of processed foods, is voluntarily recalling about 84 pounds of Soo Singapore brand extra hot beef jerky that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today.

"Soo Singapore" Extra Hot Beef Jerky, a fully cooked, ready-to-eat product, is an imported Canadian product and was distributed to stores in the San Fransisco Bay area.

Packages of the imported beef jerky have "Extra Hot Beef Jerky" printed in both English and French, as well as the producer's name: Soo Singapore Jerky, Ltd. and "Product of Canada" on the plastic package. Only eight ounce packages with the product number 810715 printed on the back of the package are being recalled. No other product is affected by the recall.

"Because of the potential hazard, we urge consumers who have purchased the suspect product to return it to the place of purchase," said Michael R. Taylor, USDA's acting under secretary for food safety and also administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

USDA discovered the problem through its routine monitoring program for Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a rare but potentially serious disease. In general, healthy people rarely contract listeriosis; most susceptible are pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems--infants, the elderly, and the chronically ill.

Symptoms of listeriosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, and in some cases flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and headache.

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. This number also provides access to a telecommunications device for deaf and hearing-impaired consumers.