Meat and Poultry Recalled Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

In compliance with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Gourmet Boutique L.L.C., a food company based in Jamaica, New York, has issued a voluntary recall of more than 286,000 pounds of fresh and frozen beef, pork and poultry sent to food service and retail establishments nationwide, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The bacterium was discovered in a sample of its products by federal food inspectors in Florida.

The fresh food products in question were produced April 19 through 24, 2008, while the frozen food products were produced from October 23, 2007 through April 23, 2008. There are 35 potentially affected products sold under the names Gourmet Boutique, Jan’s and Archer Farms. They consist of Gourmet Boutique Honey Chicken Salad, Gourmet Boutique Chicken Burrito, and Gourmet Boutique Wrapanini Meatball Parmigiana, to name a few, and have "sell by" dates ranging from May 3rd to October 23rd. A complete list of products can be found at the FSIS website.

The FSIS issued a Class I recall, which carries the highest priority, and according to a USDA statement, is issued when there is a “reasonable probability that the use of a product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.” Listeria monocyotogenes bacteria can cause listeriosis, a rare but potentially fatal disease. While healthy people rarely contract the disease, it could prove fatal for infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV and patients undergoing chemotherapy. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea, as well as miscarriages and stillbirths.

This is the second such action in three months for the company that calls itself “America’s leading manufacturer of high-quality, ready-to-eat prepared foods.” In March, they recalled approximately 7,000 pounds of products in 10 states, also due to listeria fears. In a recorded phone message, Gourmet Boutique said that it had made “environmental changes” at its plants to prevent a repeat of the problem. “We are confident of the safety and quality of our products, which will continue to be validated through our ongoing sampling practice as part of our food safety programs,” the message said.

The USDA has issued recommendations for people at risk for Listeriosis:

• Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot, soapy water. Clean spills immediately.
• Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
• Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna or other deli meats unless reheated until steaming hot.
• Do not eat refrigerated pate, meat spreads from a meat counter or smoked seafood found in the refrigerated section of the store. Foods that don’t need refrigeration, like canned tuna and salmon are safe to eat. Refrigerate after opening.
• Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk and do not eat foods that have unpasteurized milk in them.
• Do not eat salads such as ham, chicken, egg, tuna, or seafood made in the store.
• Do not eat soft cheeses such as Feta, quesco blanco, quesco fresco, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses and Panela unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk.
• Use precooked or ready-to-eat food as soon as you can. Listeria can grow in the refrigerator. The refrigerator should be 40 degrees F or lower and the freezer zero degrees F or lower. Use an appliance thermostat to check the temperature of your refrigerator.

So far, there have been no reports of illnesses linked to the recalled products. Consumers with questions about the recall can call the Gourmet Boutique hotline at 1-347-887-0083 or access the FSIS virtual representative, “Ask Karen,” available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.