The Associated Press
Some 13,087 Deli Express Turkey Club Sandwiches, sold by Eden Prairie, Minn.-based E.A. Sween Company, have been recalled because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
The 4.4-ounce sandwiches carry the manufacturer date code 652091 and are Deli Express product code 157. They were distributed to convenience stores in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas,…

Linda Bren
August 26, 2005
Pasteurization, since its adoption in the early 1900s, has been credited with dramatically reducing illness and death caused by contaminated milk. But today, some people are passing up pasteurized milk for what they claim is tastier and healthier “raw milk.”
Public health officials couldn’t disagree more.
Drinking raw (untreated) milk or eating raw milk products is “like playing Russian roulette with your health,” says John Sheehan, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Dairy and Egg Safety. “We see a number of cases of foodborne illness every year related to the consumption of raw milk.”
More than 300 people in the United States got sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk in 2001, and nearly 200 became ill from these products in 2002, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Continue Reading Got milk? Make sure it’s pasteurized

Recall Notification Report 034-2005
Product(s) Recalled:
Barbeque Beans with Beef and Chicken Salad
Production Dates/Identifying Codes:
Produced August 17 and 18, 2005.
The following products are subject to recall:
Five-pound plastic containers of “Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens Barbeque Beans with Beef.” The containers bear the use-by-date “09 28 2005” or “09 29 2005” and each case bears the code “04075.”
Five-pound and 12-ounce plastic containers of “Allison’s HCF Classic Chicken Salad with White Meat.” The containers bear the use-by-date “09 16 2005.” Each case bears the code “08015” or “08018.”
Three-pound plastic containers of “Classic Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens Chicken Salad.” The containers bear the use-by-date “09 23 2005” or “10 02 2005.” Each case bears the code “08012.”
Containers of barbeque beans and beef bear the establishment number “EST.27404” inside the USDA seal of inspection. Containers of chicken salad bear the establishment number “EST.27404-P.”
Problem/Reason for Recall:
The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.Continue Reading Recall Report

Consumer Affair
By FSIS
Aug 24, 2005
To help consumers avoid listerosis caused by Listeria, FSIS offers following advice:
Wash hands with warm, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and poultry for at least 20 seconds. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water. Immediately clean spills.
Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna or other deli meats unless reheated until steaming hot.Continue Reading FSIS: Recommendations for people at risk for Listerosis

Recalls & Alerts
Aug 24, 2005, 08:53
Oklahoma Firm Recalls Ready-To-Eat Chicken and Beef Products for Possible Listeria Contamination
Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-034-2005 HEALTH RISK: HIGH
Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Steven Cohen
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2005 – Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens, Ltd., a Moore, Okla., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 4,925 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken and beef products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The following products are subject to recall:Continue Reading Oklahoma Firm Recalls Ready-To-Eat Chicken and Beef Products

Food Production Daily
23/08/2005- New fundamental science reveals how the major foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes commandeers cellular transport machinery to invade cells and hide from the body’s immune system.
French scientists detail how Listeria invades cells by activating cellular machinery that transports viruses, small molecules, and proteins. Once it has safely entered a cell, the microbe can replicate and continue the process of infection.
Food safety is a leading issue in society today, made ever more urgent by the growth of mass food production and the increasing incidence of foodborne pathogens, engendering heavy costs to industry, employer and government.
Although infections caused by listeria are not as common as for salmonella, they can cause anything from diarrhoea to blood poisoning or meningitis, just as the bacterium can lead to miscarriages or cause disease in foetuses and newborns.Continue Reading Listeria hijacks transport machinery to invade cells

Health officials see 6 listeriosis cases in a month
By LEIGH HOPPER
Houston Chronicle
Epidemiologists are investigating an upsurge in listeriosis cases:
ï What: An infection caused by listeria monocytogenes, a rod-shaped bacterium.
ï Source: Raw vegetables, meat and unpasteurized dairy products, including queso fresco.
ï At risk: Pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.
ï Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches and diarrhea.
Houston is facing a possible outbreak of a serious bacterial illness that can result in miscarriages and babies born with life-threatening infections, a city health official says.
The Houston Department of Health and Human Services has detected an upsurge this month of listeriosis, a disease linked with consumption of contaminated ready-to-eat meats, unpasteurized dairy products, and a soft Mexican-style cheese called queso fresco.Continue Reading City fears potential outbreak of bacterial illness

By JUSTIN MASON, The Leader-Herald
AMSTERDAM – New York State Health Department officials continue to investigate the source of the most recent case of listeriosis, a potentially life-threatening illness. The latest case was reported by St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam this week.
Hospital officials confirmed Tuesday that a patient is being treated for Montgomery County’s first case of listeria infection this year. Although hospital confidentiality laws bar the release of any personal information, spokeswoman Jerri Cortese said the infected person is in good condition.
“The patient is receiving appropriate treatment and the condition is reported as good,” she said.Continue Reading State investigates source of local listeria case