The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for meat and poultry products containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated dairy products that have been recalled by Rizo-Lopez Foods, due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that these products, which bear the USDA mark of inspection, should not be consumed. As more information becomes available, FSIS will update this public health alert. Consumers should check back frequently because additional products may be added.
The list of products subject to the public health alert are available here, including information the establishment numbers and states where the products were distributed. The labels are available here.
The problem was discovered when the establishments notified FSIS that they used FDA-regulated dairy products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes to produce the poultry products. FDA is continuing its investigation into the dairy products produced by Rizo-Lopez Foods.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ or retailers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. Retailers that have purchased these products are urged not to serve or sell them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
