Deli sliced meat and cheese sold at Stop & Shop in Warwick, Rhode Island, is being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. All deli sliced meat and cheese sold between January 18 and February 2, 2018 is recalled.
The deli is temporarily closed while it is being professionally cleaned. No confirmed illnesses have been reported in connection with this issue.
If you purchased these products, do not eat them, even if you plan to cook with them. Throw them away in a sealed container in a secure garbage can, or take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund.
Then clean out your refrigerator or freezer or wherever you stored these items with a solution of 1 tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of warm water. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, and freezing doesn’t kill it. Make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling these items and after cleaning.
If you ate any of these recalled items, you need to watch for the symptoms of listeriosis the illness related to this bacteria, to develop. This could take as long as 70 days, although most people get sick within a few days or weeks after exposure.
The symptoms of listeriosis include high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea. Listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature labor, as well as infection in the newborn baby, which is why pregnant women need to be very careful about this illness. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
