WASHINGTON,
Dec. 20, 2000--Harper's Country Ham, Inc., a Clinton, Ky., firm, is
voluntarily recalling approximately 10,400 pounds of ham that may be
contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The ham was produced on December
11 and was distributed to retail establishments, restaurants, and food
services in Kentucky and Tennessee and distributed via mail order.
All
products being recalled bear the establishment number "EST.
2040" inside the USDA seal of inspection and bear a production date
code of "0346" on the label.
Retail
and mail order products subject to recall include:
-
"HARPER'S
Hamtastic Center Slices Country Ham" in 14 oz. packages;
-
"HARPER'S
Hamtastic Family Pack Sliced Country Ham" in 24 oz. packages;
-
"HARPER'S
Hamtastic Sliced Value Pack Country Ham" in 20 oz. packages;
-
"HARPER'S
COUNTRY HAMS HAMTASTIC COUNTRY HAM BONELESS SLICES" in 12 oz.
packages;
-
"WERTZ'S
COUNTRY STORE Country Ham Center Slices" in 28 oz. packages;
-
"WERTZ'S
COUNTRY STORE Country Ham Center Slices" in 14 oz. packages; and
-
"Loveless
Slow Cured Hickory Smoked COUNTRY HAM" in 16 oz. packages.
Products
for restaurants and food services subject to recall include:
-
"HARPER'S
Hamtastic BUFFET COUNTRY HAM" in 10 lb. boxes;
-
"HARPER'S
Hamtastic NO. 2 CENTERS COUNTRY HAM" in boxes of various weights;
-
Boxes
of "HARPER'S NO. 1 SLICES COUNTRY HAM" in boxes of various weights;
-
"HARPER'S
DINNER CUT COUNTRY HAM" in boxes of various weights; and
-
"HARPER'S
BISCUIT SLICES COUNTRY HAM" in boxes of various weights.
"Because
of the potential for foodborne illness, we want consumers to be aware of
the recall," said Thomas J. Billy, FSIS administrator. "We urge them to
check their refrigerators. If they find the recalled products, consumers
should not eat them, but return them to the point of purchase. Purchasers
or consumers of ham may also wish to ask restaurants or places where they
consume ham if the product or meal contains the recalled ham."
The problem was discovered through
routine FSIS 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 Mike Morgan, Harper's Country
Ham sales manager, at (270) 653-2081. Media with questions about the
recall may contact Brian Harper, Harper's Country Ham vice president, at
(270) 653-2081.
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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