| Home > Food & Drug > Food and Drug Administration Food Recalls |
FLORIDA FIRM RECALLS ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS FOR LISTERIAWASHINGTON, November 4, 1998--Dixie Packers, Inc., a Madison, Fla., meat processing firm, is voluntarily recalling 192,553 pounds of lunch meat products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today. Today's action is in addition to last week's recall of frank and hot dog products. On October 23, the firm began voluntarily recalling one day's production 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 on October 30 to all hot dog and frank products still in commerce. Testing of other products found 2 items positive for Listeria monocytogenes, resulting in today's addition to the recall of all lunch meat products produced on 2 production days. Subject to recall are all sizes of the "W/D Brand" products with establishment numbers and sell-by codes listed below:
Only the above listed products and sell-by dates are subject to recall. However, to simplify the recall for consumers, the company will also take back any of the above listed products with other sell-by date codes as well. The 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 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 Margaret Glavin, acting administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. USDA initially discovered the problem after franks sampled from a Tallahassee, Fla., retail store tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Further testing prompted expansions of the recall. USDA began withholding inspection at the plant yesterday; the plant will remain closed while plant management evaluates and reassesses its production processes and controls. The plant will need to provide FSIS with a corrective action plan to control processes at the plant before inspection is re-instituted. FSIS field and district enforcement personnel are assisting the plant in its evaluation to determine how it can adjust its processes and take appropriate corrective actions needed to prevent future problems. 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. |
| Home > Food & Drug > Food and Drug Administration Food Recalls |