NYC Food Maker Recall

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A New York food company is recalling more than 286,000 pounds of meat and poultry because it might be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes."

The voluntary recall includes several different brands of fresh and frozen products made by Gourmet Boutique, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday.

Included are some types of chicken salad and sandwiches sold under the name Gourmet Boutique, and several frozen wraps and burritos sold under the names "Jan's" and "Archer Farms."

The problem was discovered through sampling by federal food safety inspectors and Florida agriculture officials, the USDA said.

There have been no reports of illnesses associated with the recalled foods so far, but the bacteria can potentially cause Listeriosis, an illness that can cause high fever, headache and nausea. People with depressed immune systems could also suffer a fatal infection.

Gourmet Boutique said in a recorded phone message that it had made "environmental changes" at its plants to prevent a repeat of the problem.

[FitnessBrat]

Archer Farms is a Target brand...

[NYCmitch25]

Disease Listing: Listeriosis General Information | CDC DFBMD

What are the symptoms of listeriosis?

A person with listeriosis has fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.

Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.




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How great is the risk for listeriosis?

In the United States, an estimated 2,500 persons become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 500 die. At increased risk are:

Pregnant women - They are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy.
Newborns - Newborns rather than the pregnant women themselves suffer the serious effects of infection in pregnancy.
Persons with weakened immune systems
Persons with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease
Persons with AIDS - They are almost 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than people with normal immune systems.
Persons who take glucocorticosteroid medications
The elderly
Healthy adults and children occasionally get infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.