Missouri Firm Recalls Meatballs For Possible Listeria Contamination
A bad case of Listeria has struck a Missouri company's meatballs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that P.E. & F. Inc., a St. Louis, Mo. meatball firm, recalled contaminated frozen and ready-to-eat meatballs, approximately 123 lbs. worth. The officials speculate that the cause is Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes severe and potentially fatal infections.
The firm recalled the 15 oz. packages of Fazio's Meatballs that were produced on April 11, 2013 and made available at local retail stores in St. Louis.
The packages will have the "041114" lot code and "EST. 13051" establishment number.
During a routine Listeria sampling procedure, the FSIS found traces of the contaminant in the product. FSIS said P.E & F. Inc. was careless and did not pull back the items as it was pending test results.
"FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers," FSIS announced in the release.
Currently, no illnesses have been reported.
The FSIS will post the full retail distribution list on its website when it becomes available. You could find it here.
Unprocessed deli meat or unpasteurized milk goods are the usual culprits of the listeria infection, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other sources of the bacterium include refrigerated smoked seafood and raw sprouts. These bacteria have an incubation period that range from 3 to 70 days, before you start to see the warning signs.
Listeria could cause listeriosis, a rare but deadly disease for women who are pregnant, resulting in stillbirths or miscarriages. It is also dangerous for people with weak immune systems, including HIV and chemotherapy patients.
It is also a fatal infection for fetuses and newborn babies, while healthy individuals rarely fall ill. Those at risk for listeria infections should wash their hands with warm to hot water after handling meat. Utensils should also be thoroughly rinsed.
Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness to the neck and nausea. If symptoms arise, health care providers urge immediate antibiotic treatments that could curtail the infection from progressing.
Those at risk for listeria infections should wash their hands with warm to hot water after handling meat. Utensils should also be thoroughly rinsed.