|
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Cargill Turkey Products voluntarily recalled
about 16.7 million pounds of turkey products that may be
contaminated with the potentially deadly bacteria Listeria
monocytogenes, the company said on Thursday.
Cargill
Turkey Products' nationwide recall of its ready-to-eat poultry
products produced in Waco, Texas, makes it one of the largest
meat recalls in history. The Arkansas turkey processor is
a division of Cargill, the largest privately held corporation
in the United States.
Cargill
said in a statement that the poultry products were produced
from May 1 to Dec. 11. They were distributed nationwide
and to two other countries through grocery stores, restaurants
and institutions.
Mark
Klein, Cargill Turkey Products spokesman, told Reuters that
only a small amount of its products was exported to Venezuela
and Iceland.
The
privately owned company said the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the US Agriculture Department's Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) were investigating
25 cases of illnesses possibly linked to the tainted turkey
products, most of which occurred since July 2000.
``Even
though CDC and FSIS's study isn't completed, the preliminary
results convinced us that it was in the best interest of
consumers and our customers to voluntarily initiate this
recall,'' John O'Carroll, president of Cargill Turkey Products,
said in a statement.
``If
consumers have any of the recalled products, they should
not eat them, but return them to the point of purchase,''
he added.ONE OF THE LARGEST MEAT RECALLS IN HISTORY
Listeria
can be fatal for small children, the elderly and those with
weak immune systems. The bacteria can cause high fever,
neck stiffness, nausea and stillbirths in pregnant women.
Until
now, the largest recall in history was recorded by Michigan
firm Thorn Apple Valley in January 1999. The meat processor
recalled 30 million pounds of hot dogs surpassing the previous
record of 25 million pounds of tainted ground beef recalled
by Hudson Foods Inc. in 1997.
An estimated
2,500 infections caused by Listeria occur in the United
States annually, a relatively small number compared with
infections caused by salmonella, campylobacter and other
types of bacteria.
But
Listeria ranks among the most deadly, with 92% of those
infected requiring hospitalization and 20% dying, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The
company said some of the products were sold at retail grocery
stores in packages that can be identified by consumers.
Cargill
Turkey Products said the Waco facility sold some products
in bulk that were sliced at restaurants and would not be
readily identifiable by consumers. Cargill Turkey Products
has contacted establishments that purchased those products,
which are being removed and returned.
Cargill
said the identifiable products carry the establishment number
P-635 and include:SLICED PRODUCTS
-- Owen's
Hickory Smoked Pre-Sliced Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Plantation Fiesta Pre-Sliced Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Mesquite Smoked Pre-Sliced Turkey Breast, fresh and frozen
-- Pre-Sliced Smoke banquet-style Turkey Breast, fresh and
frozen
-- Black Forest Turkey Ham, fresh
-- Pre-Sliced Turkey Pastrami, fresh and frozen
-- Pre-Sliced Star Turkey Breast
-- Riverside Pre-Sliced Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast, fresh
and frozen
-- Pre-Sliced Oven Prepared Turkey Breast, frozen
-- Honeysuckle White Pre-Sliced Oven Prepared Turkey, fresh
and frozenUNSLICED PRODUCTS
-- Dine Rite Picnic Dark Turkey, fresh and frozen
-- Old South Turkey Ham, fresh
-- Plantation Cajun Fried Turkey, frozen
-- Honeysuckle White Cajun-Style Fried Whole Turkey, frozen
-- Boar's Head Our Premium Low Salt Turkey, frozen
-- Golden Catering Skin-on Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Carmel Colored Our Premium Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Our Premium Low Salt Skinless Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Smoked Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Oil Browned Chicken Breast, fresh
-- Oven Prepared Skinless Turkey Breast, fresh
-- Smoked Chicken Breast, fresh.
|
