"CONVENIENCE" FOODS RECALLED AGAIN

It doesn't matter whether we call them "convience foods" or "ready-to-eat foods" (as I do in The Safe Food Handbook) the result is still the same: they are more likely to be contaminated with bacteria and to contain more unhealthy chemicals than are "simple" foods that have you slaving over the kitchen sink and stove for a while.

The most common risk is the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes (see previous post and several earlier ones for special risks for pregnant women and others). And, there is another recall in the U.S. This time it is by Warabeya U.S.A., Inc., based in Honolulu, Hawaii.It is recalling approximately 1,550 pounds of convenience meals that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Here's the list as in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) news release:

- "10.3-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN FRIED CHICKEN BENTO"
- "11-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN TERIYAKI CHICKEN BENTO"
- "10-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE BOWL"
- "17.75-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN BIG BENTO"
- "7.25-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN LITTLE SMOKIES SNACK PACK

The USDA seems to think the common cause was a contaminated food scale pan used for all these different RTE products. It might also be a common ingredient..The result is the same. Don't eat them - especially if you are pregnant!

To your good health,
TSF