Food Recall Announced Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

Numerous food products produced by Parkers Farm Inc. are being recalled today because the packages may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne organism that is a leading cause of potentially fatal food poisoning.

Foods including peanut butter, bagel spreads, dips, and salsa are included in the voluntary nationwide recall announced by the Food and Drug Administration. Routine testing of samples of the food found some finished products contained the bacteria. The FDA and Parkers Farm are continuing to investigate in an effort to determine the source of the bacterial contamination, officials said.

While no illnesses have been reported in connection with the suspected bacterial contamination, officials announced the recall because of the serious threat to public health.

Listeria poisoning can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in frail or elderly people, young children, and people with weakened immune systems. While healthy people typically suffer only short-term symptoms including headache, fever, nausea, abdominal pain, stiffness, and diarrhea, a listeria infection can result in stillbirth or miscarriage in pregnant women, the FDA warns.

The recalled products were sold across the United States in stores including Hy-Vee, Cub, Rainbow, Byerlys Lunds, Target, Whole Foods, Jewel, Dominicks, Marsh, Price Chopper, Shop Rite, Nash Finch, Sam’s Club, Costco, and Safeway, the FDA said.

Some of the following foods sold under the Parkers Farm or Parkers label include:

• 16-ounce peanut butter in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including creamy, crunchy, honey creamy, honey crunchy with Sell-By dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010.

• 34-ounce peanut butter in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including creamy and crunchy with Sell-By dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010.

• 7-ounce bagel spreads in white plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), including garden veggie, wild berry, strawberry, apple cinnamon, and honey walnut with Sell-By dates between 5/13/2010 and 6/30/2010.

• 14-ounce dips and spreads in square plastic containers including jalapeno nacho, pimento and salsa con queso with Sell-By dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010.

• 8-, 12-, and 16-ounce cold pack cheese in round or square plastic containers, including sharp cheddar, bacon, onion, smoked cheddar, Swiss almond, horseradish, garlic, port wine, and Swiss and cheddar with Sell-By dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010.

• 16-ounce salsa in square plastic containers including hot, mild, garlic, black bean, and fire roasted with Sell-by dates between 3/14/2010 and 4/30/2010.

Cheeses, salsas, and other foods sold under different labels also are included in the recall. For a full listing of all the recalled foods, see the FDA recall notice.

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