Vita Food Products, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois has issued an alert regarding 12 individual packages of Vita Nova Salmon, which were sold at Kroger stores in Houston, Texas on or after July 22, 2008. The fish may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Kroger is the grocery chain involved in the ongoing E. coli outbreak linked back to beef supplied to the store by Nebraska Beef. Also, 192 individual packages of Vita Nova Salmon have either possibly been sold or are being offered for sale at various grocery stores in the Avenol, New Jersey metropolitan area.
The Vita Nova Smoked Salmon which is involved in the public announcement and recall are contained within packages of a deep dark blue that bear the Vita logo in the upper left corner on the part of the packaging immediately visible to the consumer. Each package contains four-10 bacon-style slices, which total three ounces of smoked salmon. The salmon slices are contained in a vacuum pack within a box that is four inches wide by 7.5 inches in length by 1/2 inch in depth. Of most importance is the Code Date of 11/16/08 198, which appears on the left end flap of each package. This announcement and recall only applies to packages bearing this specific Code Date.
Consumers purchasing the Vita Nova Salmon with the specified Code Date from a retail store on or after July 22, 2008 should not consume any of the salmon product. Vita Foods asks that the product be sealed in a plastic bag or placed in a similar container and returned to the retailer from which it was purchased and that any person who has purchased the product with the specified code date call 1-800-989-8482.
Meanwhile, earlier this month we reported on the recall of wild Alaskan smoked salmon nova lox distributed in a wide variety of states by Salmolux Inc. of Federal Way, Washington, also over concerns of potential Listeria monocytognes contamination. And, this year alone, Listeria has been the focus of numerous outbreaks, including products from Fresca Italia, Whittier Farms, Sea Tac, J&B Meats, Meijer Inc., Chang Farms, Gourmet Boutique, Bright Waters, R&R Alsatian Sausage and Products; Amish Macaroni Salad; Supreme Cuts, Stop and Shop, Piney Ridge Dairy, and Clark and Elaine Duncan’s Farm, to name some. Also, Hope Food Supply Inc. was ordered to shut down and immediately recall all products manufactured from its Texas facility since 2007 due to possible food contaminant risks following its failure to follow a previous consent decree.
Listeriosis is a type of food poisoning generated by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria and is dangerous to the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, those with chronic medical conditions, people with HIV, or those who are undergoing chemotherapy. Most people experience mild flu-like symptoms—fever, muscle aches, nausea, or diarrhea. In serious cases, the disease spreads to the nervous system, causing headaches, stiff neck, and convulsions. In pregnant women, Listeriosis can result in miscarriage or stillbirth. Listeria lives in soil, stream water, sewage, plants, and food and can easily contaminate dairy and beef products; Listeria thrives in cold environments.
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