Pork Recall Expanded to Over 2.3 Million Pounds of Product Due to Listeria Concerns
Alexander & Hornung, a subsidiary of Perdue Premium Meat Company. Inc. has expanded its recall of pork products to more than 2,320,000 pounds due to listeria concerns.
The recall includes 27 ham and pepperoni products that have been shipped nationwide and have various best by dates.
The original recall from December 5 included 234,000 pounds of pork products and 17 brands.
The USDA encourages everyone to check their freezers and refrigerators and to throw out any products under the recall.
You should probably check that holiday ham you have in the freezer. A recall of more than 234,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products has been expanded to over 2,320,000 pounds. The recall impacts pork products that have been distributed nationwide and are being recalled over listeria concerns, according to an United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) update.
The products come from a subsidiary of Perdue Premium Meat Company. Inc., Alexander & Hornung. The Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) encourages people to check their refrigerators and freezers for potentially contaminated products. If there is any concern if a product is contaminated, FSIS suggests avoiding eating the item and throwing it away immediately.
A full list of the 27 recalled products can be found on the USDA website along with images of the product labels. The items in question have been shipped across the United States with various best by dates ranging from December 2021 through May 2022.
Popular impacted items include bone-in ham steaks, pepperoni, smoked ham, and other pork products from brands like Wellshire, Alexander & Hornung, Garrett Valley Farms, Niman Ranch, Open Nature, Five Star Brand, and more. The products can be identified with the establishment number of “EST.M10125” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The concern was first announced on December 5 when the company notified FSIS that a sample tested positive for listeria. As of the recent update, there have been no known illnesses reported due to consuming the product, but anyone who has concerns should contact their healthcare provider, according to the USDA.
In just the last few months, bagged salad from Dole was recalled due to potential listeria contamination in 10 states and bagged kale sold in Kroger and Winn-Dixie were recalled in 11 states due to listeria concerns.
Foods that contain listeria can cause listeriosis, an infection that mostly impacts older adults, those with a weakened immune system, and pregnant women and their newborns. Listeriosis is caused by eating foods contaminated with the Listeria monocyogenes bacteria and causes approximately 1,600 people to fall ill and about 260 deaths each year, according to the USDA. Listeria is most commonly a concern in soft cheeses, produce like raw sprouts and cantaloupe, processed meats like hot dogs, cold cuts, and lunch meats, smoked fish, and raw milk, according to the USDA.
Symptoms of listeriosis appear one to four weeks after eating contaminated foods and include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Less common symptoms may include diarrhea or other stomach discomforts similar to other foodborne illnesses. Listeriosis is particularly worrisome for pregnant women because the infection can spread from the GI tract and cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection for the newborn. Additionally, older people and those with a weakened immune system can contract a serious and potentially life-threatening infection. However, listeriosis is treatable with antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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