NJ Company Recalls More Than 324,000 Pounds of Meat Over Listeria Contamination
A New Jersey-based meat company has recalled more than 324,000 pounds of frozen ready-to-eat products due to possible listeria contamination.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Saturday that Buona Vita Inc., based in Bridgeton, New Jersey, was recalling approximately 324,770 pounds of various frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products produced in May, which include meatballs, chicken and beef patties and chicken and beef loafs, the agency said in a written statement.
The agency categorized the health risk associated to the recall as being "high," according to the statement.
Buona Vita makes 200,000 pounds of meatballs a day, as well as other ready-to-eat meat and chicken products, according to the company website.
The problem was discovered through microbiological testing by FSIS and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the FSIS said in a statement, and so far there have been no reports of illness related to Buona Vita products.
More than 30 people died from listeria-contaminated cantaloupe that was linked to Colorado-based Jensen Farms in 2011, according to Reuters.
Listeria bacteria grow well in environments with low temperatures, and outbreaks are usually associated with deli meats, unpasteurized cheeses and refrigerated seafood products.
Listeriosis, an infection that occurs when a person ingests food that has been contaminated with Listeria, has a long incubation period and symptoms sometimes do not show up until two months after people eat bacteria-tainted foods.
Some of the symptoms are fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and other gastric problems.