WASHINGTON, Oct.
10--Newhart Foods, Inc., an Allentown, Penn., firm, is voluntarily
recalling approximately 90 pounds of chicken salad that may be
contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The product
subject to recall is "King's Chicken Caesar Salad" in 83 ounce
packages. The packages have a "SELL THRU" date of
"10/07/00" on the label, and the labels also bear
"P-9976" inside the USDA seal of inspection.
The chicken salad
was produced and packaged on Oct. 4, and distributed to retail stores in
New Jersey.
"Because of
the potential for foodborne illness, we urge consumers not to eat the
chicken salad but return it to the point of purchase," said Thomas J.
Billy, FSIS administrator.
The problem was
discovered through FSIS routine microbiological sampling.
Consumption of
food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause
listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people
rarely contract listeriosis. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe
headache, neck stiffness, and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause
miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal
infections in those with weak immune systems--infants, the frail or
elderly, and persons with chronic disease, with HIV infection, or taking
chemotherapy.
FSIS has received
no reports of illness associated with consumption of this product. Anyone
concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
Consumers with
questions about the recall may contact Sandy Ericksen, technical services
manager, Newhart Foods, Inc., at (717) 624-4911, extension 238. Media with
questions may contact Tom Bross, president, Newhart Foods, Inc., at (717)
624-4911, extension 223.
Consumers with
food safety questions can 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, and recorded food safety
messages are available 24 hours a day.
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