Thread: Recall: Oscar Mayer ready to eat chicken

ATLANTA (AP) -- Carolina Culinary Food is recalling packages of Oscar Mayer ready-to- eat chicken breast strips with rib meat because they may be contaminated, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Sunday.
Officials said Georgia Department of Agriculture food scientists found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample. That type of contamination can cause listeriosis, which is uncommon but potentially fatal.

No illnesses have been reported, officials said.

The nationwide recall affects all six-ounce packages of "Oscar Mayer/Louis Rich chicken breast strips with rib meat, grilled, fully cooked, ready to eat" that bear the establishment number "P-19676" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the front of the package. On the back of each package is a "Use by" date of "19 Apr 2007."

Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections to infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/18/D8NCC46O0.html
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Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Kraft Consumer Response at 800-871-7117

How does Listeria get into food?

Listeria monocytogenes 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.

Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking; however, in certain ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs and deli meats, contamination may occur after cooking but before packaging.