Houston Company Recalls Ready-To-Eat Products Due to Listeria Contamination Concerns

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that a company in Houston was recalling ready-to-eat products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  The sandwich and wrap products were produced on July 15, 2014, and then shipped to retail locations in Texas.

According to the news release, “The problem was discovered when FSIS collected a sample of a separate product on July 15, 2014, that was confirmed positive for L. monocytogenes on July 21.  The sampled product was held. However, the plant produced the additional FSIS and FDA regulated products listed in this recall without conducting a complete clean-up of the production equipment. Those products have entered commerce and are subject to recall.”

Fortunately, as of the posting of the recall, no reports of illnesses had been received.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 1,600 people in the U.S. get sick from Listeria each year and that it is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning.

One of the leading food testing providers for food manufacturers, retailers, regulators and the general public is EMSL Analytical, Inc.  “Consuming foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with a weakened immune system, and pregnant women as well as their newborns,” said Joy Dell’Aringa, M.S., RM (NRM), CFSP, National Food Director at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Companies involved with these types of product recalls often face a number of challenges, including the expense of the recall, litigation and possible declining sales in the future. EMSL’s Houston facility, as part of EMSL’s network of laboratories, offers rapid and highly accurate testing services to help prevent contaminated products from reaching the public.  These services can help prevent these types of situations from occurring through proactive testing or identify the source of contamination if an outbreak has already occurred.”

EMSL has sponsored an educational video about Listeria that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/iXQOwCfZQek.

To learn more about testing for Listeria and other food testing services, please visit www.FoodTestingLab.com or www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .
 
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of food, environmental and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies. 
 

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Joseph Frasca

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EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) (856) 303-2503

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