2/10/05
Staff Reports
WASHINGTON — Fortner Foods Commissary of Murfreesboro is recalling ready-to-eat ham that may be contaminated with Listeria bacteria and was distributed to four pizzerias in Rutherford County, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced yesterday.
The ham was distributed to four Sir Pizza restaurants, two in Murfreesboro and one each in La Vergne and Smyrna. It may have been an ingredient in several menu items served at the restaurants Feb. 5 and 6, the inspection service said.
The inspection service discovered the problem through routine sampling. No reports of illness associated with the product have been received.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Its symptoms include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. It can cause miscarriages and stillbirths and can cause serious infections in those with weak immune systems, the inspection service warned.
Consumers with food-safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-674-6854. The hot line is available in English and Spanish. It is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday.