Listeria contamination, poultry - USA: Recall

Date: 15 Dec 2000 13:55:44 -0500
From: ProMED-mail
Source: AP Online, 15 Dec 2000 [edited]
Story Filed: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 12:05 AM EST


Cargill Turkey Issues Recall
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Cargill Turkey Products is voluntarily recalling 16.7 million pounds of
ready-to-eat poultry products packaged under various brands because of
possible _Listeria_ contamination, company officials said Thursday.

The items were produced at the company's Waco facility from 1 May 2000 to
11 Dec 2000. They were distributed to grocery stores, restaurants and
institutions throughout the United States, Iceland and Venezuela. John
O'Carroll, company president, said customers should return the items to the
place of purchase for a refund.

The Springdale, Arkansas-based company has contacted restaurants and
delicatessens that purchased the products in bulk to remove them. The US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service are studying whether some
products from the Waco facility might contain _Listeria monocytogenes_,
associated with 25 cases of listeriosis in the United States, most of which
have occurred since July [2000].

"Even though the conclusive results (of the study) aren't in, we just felt
that we didn't want to wait," said company spokesman Mark Klein.
Listeriosis is a potentially fatal disease with flu-like symptoms,
including high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea.

Customers may contact Cargill Turkey Products, a division of
Minneapolis-based Cargill, Inc., at 888-621-2717.

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