NO VACATION FOR LISTERIA FOOD POISONING

I am just back from a short vacation, including from the Internet. So I am catching up on everything. That includes the food product recalls that have taken place during the last few days. In general, I notice that food poisoning is not taking a summer break. At least, not in the United States. It usually doesn't. In fact, the summer months are normally the most risky for those of us that eat. That is, for everyone.

As I kept on saying in The Safe Food Handbook (the published book - not the blog) , ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are the most risky, especially for pregnant women. That is because of the frequent incidence of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in such food.

Gill's Onions are still causing new recalls (for instance, Busch’s Fresh Food Market today is announcing the voluntary recall of several RTE products - burritos, enchiladas, soups, lasagnas, potato cakes and more. Too many to list.

But there are other Listeria-related recalls as well. Tomales Bay Foods, Inc., Petaluma, CA, is recalling all partial wheels of two cheeses they distributed because of contamination by Listeria monocytogenes. Reichel Foods, of Rochester, Minn. is recalling approximately 15,880 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products because of the same bacterium. The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) is advising consumers that they should not eat certain foods from the Market Pantry and Archer Farms Deli Salad lines that are sold at Target stores, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

In fact, it is almost a relief to find a recall because of just bits of "foreign material" in meat patties. Kenosha Beef International, Ltd., of Kenosha, Wisconsin. is recalling some 37,600 pounds of frozen bacon cheeseburger patties because they may contain pieces of gasket material. I am not in the habit of nibbling on gaskets, but overall, I think I'd rather do that than risk getting Listeriosis.

To your good health,
TSF