New York - Six deaths, two miscarriages and more than 50 cases of illness occurred between August 1998 and January 1999 as a result of a multistate outbreak of listeriosis linked to hot dogs and deli meats.
Bil Mar Foods, manufacturer of the contaminated foods, recalled hot dogs and deli meats carrying the numbers EST P261 or EST 6911 on the outer edge of their packages.
Bil Mar Foods manufactured the tainted products at a plant in Zeeland, Michigan, under the brand names Bryan Bunsize, Bryan 3-lb Club Pack, Grillmaster, Hygrade, Mr. Turkey, Sara Lee Deli Meat, and Sara Lee Home Roast Brands.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) isolated the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes from hot dogs and deli meats manufactured at the plant, according to a report in the January 8th issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Although serious illness in healthy people exposed to Listeria is rare, the CDC recommends that people within high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, newborns or people with impaired immune systems, should consult their physicians if they develop influenza-like symptoms or fever within 2 months after consuming affected products.
Consumers who have purchased the potentially tainted products should not consume them, but rather discard them or return them to the manufacturer, according to CDC officials.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
P.O. Box 553
Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
Return to Home Page