FLORIDA FIRM EXPANDS RECALL OF FRANKS FOR LISTERIA

        WASHINGTON, October 30, 1998--Dixie Packers, Inc., a Madison, Fla., meat processing firm, is voluntarily recalling an estimated 1.5 million pounds of franks and hot dogs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today. Today’s action is an expansion of last week’s recall of one day’s production of the products.

        On October 23, the firm began voluntarily recalling 108,267 pounds of franks suspected of being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Subsequent testing of products from other production dates prompted the firm to expand the recall to all hot dog and frank products still in commerce.

        The company is recalling all "W/D Brand,"franks, all "Madison Brand," hot dogs, and all "Mission Ridge" brand hot dogs.

        Although the plant can be identified by establishment number "1415M" or "P-6655," which appears inside the USDA inspection seal on the product label, the company is taking back frank and hot dog products under the 3 brand names from other establishment numbers as well.

        The franks and hot dog products were distributed to Winn-Dixie Stores, which are located in the following 14 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Some of the franks were also distributed to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, where they may be found in other retail stores as well.

        "Because of the potential foodborne illness hazard, we urge consumers who have purchased the suspect product to return it to the place of purchase," said Thomas J. Billy, administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

        USDA initially discovered the problem after product sampled from a Tallahassee, Fla., retail store tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Further testing prompted an expansion of the recall.

        Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease. In general, 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. However, 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.

        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.

#

NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS Home Page on the Internet's World Wide Web at http://www.fsis.usda.gov

NOTE TO EDITORS: Media inquiries to the company should be directed to Mickey Clerc at 904-783-5409.