The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today that Aliki is recalling its Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo products because routine sampling revealed possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  According to the press release:

Aliki Foods, Inc., an Old Lyme, Conn., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 70,400 pounds of a chicken and pasta product that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
Listeria-fettucine
The following product is subject to recall:

* 5-pound boxes containing two 2.5-pound trays of "Aliki Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo Made with White Chicken." Each box bears the establishment number "Est. 219" inside the Canadian Food Inspection Agency mark of inspection as well as a best if used by date of "SEPT 08" printed on the top of the box.

There are many opportunities for contamination with Listeria during the process of food production because Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous in the environment. For example, it can be grown from wild and domestic animals, birds, insects, soil and wastewater, and vegetation. As it is a bacterium found in soil and vegetation, it is easily contracted and transmitted by herd animals. Listeria is found in grazing areas, stale water supplies, and poorly prepared animal feed. It can live in the intestines of humans, animals, and birds for long periods of time without causing infection. The bacterium is often isolated in cattle, sheep, and fowl, and is also found in dairy products, fruits, and vegetables.