Carolina Pride Foods, Inc., a Greenwood, S.C. establishment is recalling approximately 18,416 pounds of boneless, fully cooked ham products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
All the ham products were produced on May 13, 2011 and then distributed throughout the southeastern U.S. to retail outlets or for institutional use. The following products are subject to recall:
• “10-ounce vacuum packages of “CAROLINA PRIDE Smoked Diced Ham” with the sell by date of Sept. 23, 2011 stamped on the package. The packages also bear “EST. 242” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were sent to retail locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The label on 10-pound cases of this product would be stamped “4218.”
• “10-pound cases containing five, 2-pound vacuum packages of “CAROLINA PRIDE Diced Ham.” The label on cases of this product would be stamped “3804” and shipped to locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
• “12-pound cases containing 8-ounce vacuum packages of “HARDEE’s Smoked Diced Ham” with the use through date of Nov. 9, 2011 stamped on the package. The shipping label on cases of this product would be stamped “4181” and shipped to locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The problem was discovered through third-party microbiological sampling contracted by Carolina Pride Foods. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.