Fineberg Packing Company of Tennessee is recalling about 8,822 pounds of ready to eat ham products for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date, but the illness caused by this bacteria can take 70 days to appear.
The ready to eat hickory smoked and BBQ hams were packaged on January 16, 2017. They included 14 pound vacuum sealed packages containing “FINEBERG’S Finest Danish Brand BBQ Flavored Ham” with sell by date 03/26/2017 and case code 17016. Also recalled is 30.6 pound boxes containing 2 vacuum-sealed packages of “Holly Brand hickory smoked fully cooked HAM” with case code 17016. The products have the establishment number “EST. 428” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to distributors in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
If you purchased these products, do not eat them, even if you are going to heat them before serving. Throw them away in a double bagged or sealed package, or take them back to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Clean out your refrigerator or freezer with a mild bleach solution after you get rid of the ham. Listeria bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, and freezing doesn’t kill it. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling these hams.
If you ate this recalled product, monitor yourself for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. The symptom of this illness include high fever, stiff neck, muscle aches, and a severe headache, or they could be similar to the flu. Pregnant women may only feel mildly sick with a flu-like illness, but listeriosis can cause miscarriage, premature labor, stillbirth, and infection in the newborn baby. If you do feel sick, see your doctor.
