There are several food recalls underway across the United States:
Johnston County Hams is recalling more than 89,000 pounds of ready-to-eat ham products due to possible listeria contamination, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday.
The recall was announced after health officials linked an outbreak of listeriosis to ham products produced at Johnston County Hams, according to the service. The agency was notified last month of a patient who had reported consuming products from the company before getting sick.
“The epidemiologic investigation identified a total of four listeriosis confirmed illnesses, including one death, between July 8, 2017 and August 11, 2018,” the recall announcement said. The illnesses were reported in North Carolina and Virginia. All of the patients were hospitalized, and the death was reported in Virginia, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
The recalled products were produced between April 3, 2017, and October 2, 2018, and shipped to distributors in Maryland, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina and Virginia, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service. They have the establishment number “EST. M2646” inside the USDA inspection mark on the packaging.
They include Johnston County Hams Inc. country style fully cooked boneless deli ham; The Old Dominion brand ole fashioned sugar-cured premium full cooked country ham with sell by dates from April 10, 2018, to September 27, 2019; Padow’s Hams & Deli Inc. fully cooked country ham boneless glazed with brown sugar; premium fully cooked country ham with less salt distributed by Valley Country Hams LLC with sell-by dates from April 10, 2018, to September 27, 2019; and Goodnight Brothers Country Ham boneless fully cooked. All of these recalled products are plastic-wrapped and at weights of 7 to 8 pounds.
Consumers and retailers should not eat, serve, or sell any of these products, the CDC and the Food Safety and Inspection Service warned. Products should be returned to where they were purchased or thrown away, and consumers are warned to check their freezers, as well
“Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators and freezers where recalled ham was stored,” the CDC also said.
Arizona-based meat producer JBS Tolleson, Inc. is recalling 6,500,966 pounds of “various raw, non-intact beef products” due to an outbreak of salmonella, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)announced Thursday. The recalled products may be contaminated with salmonella.
The recall was issued after health officials identified JBS as the common supplier of raw ground beef products found to be the “probable source” of reported salmonella illnesses.
Fifty-seven cases of salmonella illness linked to this outbreak were reported in 16 US states between August 5 and September 6. The USDA’s FSIS was first notified of the possible outbreak in September. Receipts and shopper cards from eight patients helped investigators identify the source of the outbreak.
Symptoms of salmonella usually begin 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food. These can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever that last between four and seven days. Most people recover on their own but those who experience persistent diarrhea may need to be hospitalized.
Those at most risk for severe illness include people with weakened immune systems, babies and elderly individuals.
The recalled products were packaged between July 26 and September 7 and were sold nationwide under brand names Walmart, Cedar River Farms Natural Beef, Showcase, Showcase/Walmart and JBS Generic.
The USDA inspection mark on the packaging of the recalled products contains the establishment number “EST. 267.”
Eggs from Gravel Ridge Farms in Cullman, Alabama, have been linked to 38 cases of salmonella in seven states, the US Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
The cage-free large eggs, which were sold in grocery stores in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, were recalled in September after illnesses were confirmed.
The recalled eggs have a UPC code of 7-06970-38444-6 and best-by dates of July 25 through October 3. A full list of locations where the eggs were sold can be found on the recall announcement.
Ten people have been hospitalized, but there have been no reported deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Twenty-three salmonella cases have been reported in Tennessee, seven in Alabama, four in Ohio and one case each in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Montana. The illnesses began between June 17 and August 16.
Many of those infected reported eating dishes containing eggs at restaurants supplied by Gravel Ridge Farms.
The CDC advises that the eggs should not be eaten, sold, or served. They should be thrown away or returned to the store where they were purchased.
The places where the eggs were stored should be cleaned and sanitized, and eggs should be handled and cooked safely to avoid the potential for illness.
Symptoms of salmonella infections include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps that appear 12 to 72 hours after infection, according to the CDC.
In some cases, people may have diarrhea so severe that they need to be hospitalized, but most recover without treatment after four to seven days.
The FDA says infections can be serious and sometimes fatal in certain populations, including young children, frail or elderly people and those with a weakened immune system.
The CDC, the FDA, and state officials are investigating the outbreak.
