Smith: Take extra care to make sure you’re well aware of deli meats recall
On July 26, Boar’s Head Provisions Co. initiated a recall of some of its deli meats after a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for a strain of Listeria monocytogenes.
The recall was expanded on July 30 to include additional products produced from May 10, 2024, to July 29, 2024. Over 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat deli meats and 71 other products with sell-by dates ranging from July 29, 2024, to Oct. 17, 2024, have been recalled.
As of Aug. 28, the Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats has resulted in 57 hospitalizations and nine deaths across 18 states. It has been deemed the largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011’s cantaloupe-linked outbreak. So far, no illnesses or deaths have been reported in Idaho or Washington.
Although the deli meats do not appear to have been sold in the Quad Cities area, according to the distribution list (bit.ly/3z2rm35), this product was sold in area stores in Coeur d’Alene, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, southern Idaho and western Washington. Time should be taken to check your home for these recalled products.
Listeriosis often results in flu-like symptoms but can cause invasive disease when the bacteria spread from the gastrointestinal tract to other parts of the body. Symptoms of severe disease may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, resulting in hospitalization or death. Even more concerning, listeriosis often has a 20% to 30% mortality rate for individuals presenting with illness.
People at high risk for severe disease include pregnant individuals, newborns, adults aged 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems. Additionally, Listeria infection in pregnant individuals can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or life-threatening infection in newborns. High-risk individuals are strongly recommended to heat all deli meats to an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until steaming hot before consuming. Symptoms of illness usually start one to four weeks after ingestion of Listeria but occasionally start on the day of or as long as 70 days after ingesting contaminated food.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly urge everyone to check their homes for these recalled products. Listeria can survive and grow at refrigeration temperatures, so it is important to clean your refrigerator, containers and any surfaces that may have touched any suspected contaminants. Surfaces should be cleaned with hot, soapy water and rinsed with clean water. After cleaning, sanitize surfaces with a kitchen sanitizer, like Lysol or Clorox wipes, or a bleach mixture of 5 tablespoons (⅓ cup) per room-temperature gallon of water. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use of sanitizing chemicals. Contact your health care provider if you have symptoms of listeriosis and have recently consumed meats from deli counters.
Food establishments that received recalled meats should discard any open meats or cheeses in deli displays, according to recommendations from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Opened deli products may become cross-contaminated with Listeria from any recalled products. Additionally, all food and nonfood contact surfaces — including deli slicers, counters, food storage containers and trays, and utensils — should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. USDA-FSIS reminds food establishments to always follow best practices for controlling Listeria contamination in deli areas.
More information on controlling Listeria in retail delis can be found at fsis.usda.gov/guidelines/2023-0004. More information about this continuing outbreak may be found at bit.ly/4cNMFDc. A list of recalled products and the distribution list can be found at bit.ly/3AJYmO3.
Smith is an associate professor and statewide consumer food specialist for Washington State University in Pullman. Comments or questions may be emailed to food.safety@wsu.edu.
