By Ralph Ellis, WebMD News Brief
A Michigan-based company has vastly expanded its recall of meat that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Alexander & Hornung is now recalling 2,320,774 pounds of meat products, with an expanded list of cooked ham and pepperoni products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a news release.
The first recall, announced Dec. 5, was for 234,391 pounds of cooked ham and pepperoni products.
The meat being recalled can be identified by looking at the circular USDA mark of inspection on the label. All the recalled products carry the establishment number “EST. M10125,” the FSIS said.
People who find the meat products in their refrigerators or freezers should throw them out.
The company has provided an expanded list of recalled products with more sell-by dates. Not all the products carry the Alexander and Hornung brand. Some are private label products for retail customers.
“The affected products are being recalled as a precaution due to possible exposure to Listeria monocytogenes,” Alexander & Hornung said in a news release. “While there have been no illnesses or complaints associated with the products and there is no conclusive evidence that the products were contaminated at the time of shipment, the voluntary recall is being initiated out of an abundance of caution.”
Whole Foods is recalling its Wellshire Farms Fully Cooked Hams because Alexander & Hornung is a co-packer for the product, a news release says. Five kinds of Wellshire ham are being recalled.
Eating food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, which is more serious than listeria and is sometimes fatal. The most vulnerable groups include seniors, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns, the FSIS said.
Symptoms of listeriosis include headaches, stiff necks, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Symptoms may occur right away or weeks after eating the meat.