The recall of Garden Fresh Foods ready to eat chicken and ham products for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination is expanding. The previous recalls were for 25,748 pounds of product on September 25 and October 17, 2013. Now the company is recalling 103,080 additional pounds of food.
You can see the long list of recalled products, along with brand names, product code, and expiration dates, at the USDA web site. The product brand names include Garden-Fresh, Brandpa’s, Archer Farms, Market Pantry, and D’Amico & Sons. The products recalled include dips, chicken salads, pasta salads, chicken wrap fillings, and ham salad. You can also see the list of previously recalled products on that page.
The products being recalled have the establishment number “EST. 17256” or “Est. P-17256” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The food was made between September 6 and October 10, 2013. They were distributed to retail and food service establishments nationwide. Some of the products included in this recall have expired, but some may be frozen in consumer or retail freezers.
Microbial testing by FSIS indicated that there was Listeria monocytogenes bacteria within the facility where they were processed. There have been no reports of illness associated with the consumption of these products, but Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause symptoms as long as 70 days after someone eats contaminated food.
If you ate any of the recalled products, monitor yourself for the signs of listeriosis for the next two months. Those symptoms include flu-like fever and muscle aches, upset stomach or diarrhea, stiff neck, headache, loss of balance, confusion, or convulsions. Listeria infection can cause meningitis. Pregnant women may have very mild symptoms, but this bacteria can cause stillbirth and miscarriage.
