Service Smoked Fish Corp. Recalls Smoked Nova Salmon Because of Possible Health Risk

Posted by Bill Marler on November 20, 2009

Service Smoked Fish Corp. of Brooklyn, NY, is recalling specific "Use-By" dates and lot codes of Brooklyn's BEST brand SMOKED NOVA SALMON because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may possibly suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Smoked Nova Salmon was distributed in the greater New York area, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the areas of Baltimore, MD, Los Angeles, CA, and Portland, Oregon. Consumers may have purchased the product from retail food stores.

The Smoked Nova Salmon was vacuum-packed in clear, plastic bags of various size packages including 3 oz., 4 oz., 8 oz., 12 oz., 16 oz. and random weight sides with the brand name "Brooklyn's BEST" appearing on a circular label inside the vacuum bag. A "Use-By" date appears on the bottom of the gold board. Units with "Use-By" dates of 12/03/09 through 12/19/09 are being recalled. The product was also air-packed in bulk boxes. Air-packed units with lot numbers 060 through 043 are being recalled. No other use-by dates or lots numbers are involved in this recall.

San Miguel Produce Inc Recalls Listeria Kale

Posted by Listeria Lawyer on November 13, 2009

A warning is out about vegetables possibly infected with bacteria.

San Miguel Produce Inc. is urging consumers to discard packages of “Cut 'N Clean Greens” Kale.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture says kale from the California company tested positive for Listeria.

Ten-ounce bags with the expiration date 11/09/2009 and lot code 14398 should be thrown out.

No illnesses have been reported.

A formal recall has not been issued. San Miguel Produce issued the advisory as a safety measure.

Listeria Causes Illness at Much Lower Dose

Posted by Bill Marler on November 13, 2009

Pregnant women may get ill from Listeria at lower doses than previously thought, U.S. researchers found.

The risk of fetal or infant mortality among pregnant women who consume food containing 1 million cells of the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheeses and other food is estimated at about 50 percent, suggesting five stillbirths potentially could occur when 10 pregnant women are exposed to that amount.

A previous risk assessment estimated more than 10 trillion cells would result in stillbirths to 50 percent of pregnant women exposed, researchers said.

"We're not saying there's a new epidemic here, we're suggesting we've come up with a more accurate method of measuring the risk and how this deadly bacteria impacts humans, especially the most medically vulnerable among us," study co-author Mary Alice Smith of the University of Georgia said in a statement.

When estimates are extrapolated from data in tests on laboratory animals, the results showed "Listeriosis is likely occurring from exposure to lower doses than previously estimated," Smith said.