MONTANA RECALL: 234,000 lbs. of Ham, Possible Listeria Contamination
Check your fridge for brands such as Open Nature, Food Club and others as there is a large recall of ham and pepperoni products. Listeria was detected in some sampling from the St. Clair Shores, Michigan plant and the recall is nationwide.
This is not simply a 'Montana' problem...this is a large recall that involves several different brands/labels and several different pork products.
The USDA has classified this as a Class 1 recall, their highest product contamination so it's crucial to get the word out.
"This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."
With the holidays upon us and SPIRAL SLICED HAM being such a popular dinner table item, this recall comes at a perilous time. Double check your fridge and freezer for any of the brands of products (as there are SEVERAL BRANDS and labels to look for.)
If there is a friend of family member who likes these kinds of products, it's worth a phone call to make sure they check their fridges too. The recall is for many items and is nationwide.
For instance, the Open Nature brand is widely available at Safeway and Albertson's stores.
Food Club products are sold at MANY smaller grocery retailers or those retailers that don't have their own generic brand.
SEE THE LABELS OF ALL OF THE RECALLED PRODUCTS HERE
The good news is that although Listeria was in fact detected, no cases of injury or illness were reported as of this writing on December 5th, 2021.
So what can Listeria do to people? "Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms."
More serious issues can arise when pregnant women are exposed to Listeria contamination. You can see all the details about this particular recall on the USDA website.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)