Thread: HoneyBaked Foods recalls hams, turkeys

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4357989.html

Nov. 24, 2006, 3:02PM
HoneyBaked Foods recalls hams, turkeys

WASHINGTON -- An Ohio-based company is recalling 46,941 pounds of turkey and ham products that officials fear could cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today.

HoneyBaked Foods Inc. is voluntarily recalling the meat, which includes cooked, glazed and sliced ham and turkey, USDA said in a statement.

The meat, which was produced between Sept. 5 and Nov. 13, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can bring about high fever, headaches, neck stiffness and nausea, USDA said.

Healthy individuals are not usually susceptible to the illness, but it can cause infections to infants, the elderly, or people with HIV or cancer. It can also cause miscarriages.

The meat was sold at the company's retail stores and kiosks around Toledo, Ohio, and to customers across the country over the Internet and through the company's catalogue.

USDA said it considered the situation a high risk to human health, but it has not received any reports so far of illness related to the meat products.

HAD
do we have any information about their workers?
Are they hiring ILLEGALS in the processing plants?
It's not ringing any bells for me.

.

My God, I am getting to the point that I am afraid to eat anything bought out of the store or resturants. Had ham and turkey both!

What in the world is happening here, is Bush having the Mexicans inspect our food now?

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=5721168

..................After extensive product and environmental testing conducted in conjunction with the USDA in the Holland (Ohio) processing facility and at the retail locations, HoneyBaked Foods has resumed production in that facility.

People who eat food infected with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria get the disease known as Listeriosis. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2,500 people get sick with listeriosis each year, and of those, 500 will die.

A CDC fact sheet on listeriosis says the symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrintestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.

Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarraige or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.

In the United States, an estimated 2,500 persons become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 500 die.

At greatest risk are:

* Pregnant women -- They are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy.
* Newborns -- Newborns rather than the pregnant women themselves suffer the serious effects of infection in pregnancy.
* Persons with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients, diabetics, or kidney disease patients.
* Persons with AIDS -- They are almost 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than people with normal immune systems.
* Persons who take glucocorticosteroid medications
* The elderly -- Healthy adults and children occasionally get infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

The Listeria monocytogenes bacteria is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products.

The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts at the deli counter. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium.

Here are recommendations to reduce your risk:

* Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry.
* Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating.
* Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
* Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk.
* Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods.
* Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.

Recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, in addition to the recommendations listed above:

* Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
* Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
* Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.
* Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.
* Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.

On the Web:
CDC Fact Sheet on Listeriosis:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/listeriosis_g.htm

*****************************
From what I found, Honey Baked Only slices & packages the meat after buying it from suppliers.

I couldn't find anything of hiring illegals by Honey Baked.

This just does wonders for my appetite, maybe I should come here before every meal and read it again and again!

Well isn't that just special that they announce this the day after Thanksgiving.