Ten days ago, Sunburst Foods, a Goldsboro NC-based maker of sandwiches and snack items sold in vending machines and convenience stores issued a recall for everything it has ever made for possible Listeria contamination. Now the company, which had not received any reports of illness at the time of the recall, has halted all production of sandwiches.
The items, sold in vending machines and convenience stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia were sold under a variety of brand names including: River Edge Farms, CFW, Southern Zest, CJ’s Vending, Binford Street Deli, Middle Georgia Vendors, Roanoke Foods, Select Foods, and Jesse Jones (Double Chili Dogs).
Symptoms of a Listeria infection, called listeriosis, can take as long as two months to develop. They include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck and confusion. Sometimes these symptoms are preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Listeria infections can be fatal. Children, elderly people and immune-compromised individuals including pregnant women are at high risk. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
