The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company just announced a voluntary recall of both Stop & Shop tuna salad sold in 12 ounce, pre-packaged containers and tuna salad sold at the service deli. The recall has been initiated over potential contamination with the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. Stop & Shop was notified of the recall by its supplier and has removed the suspect product from its shelves. The recalls include:
- 12 oz. Pre-Packaged Stop & Shop Tuna Salad with UPC #0-688267-06663 and Sell-by-date of August 19, 2008.
- Service Deli Stop & Shop Tuna Salad with UPC #20880380000 and Sell-by-date(s) of July 28, 2008 thru August 19, 2008.
Customers who purchased the possibly tainted tuna salad products should discard any unused portions or bring their purchase receipt to Stop & Shop for a full refund. Consumers may also speak with Stop & Shop Customer Service at (800) 767-7772 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. for more information and can visit the firm’s Website at www.stopandshop.com.
Meanwhile, this March, Stop & Shop Supermarket voluntarily recalled four types of prepared chicken due to potential listeria contamination. The affected products were sold at the deli counter, in bulk and pre-packaged, in various weights.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious food poisoning infection. Listeriosis outbreaks have been associated with consuming unpasteurized or raw milk, contaminated soft cheeses, vegetables, and ready-to-eat meats. The bacterium is found in soil and water and animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill, contaminating foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. Because Listeria thrives in the cold, refrigerated food products provide an ideal environment for the germ.
The disease typically affects pregnant women—often resulting in stillborn deaths or miscarriage—newborns, the elderly, those with chronic medical conditions, those undergoing chemotherapy, and those with weakened immune systems and HIV. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.
In 1998, 15 deaths and six miscarriages were linked to listeria traced to meat shipped from the Bil Mar factory near Zeeland. Generally considered a rare foodborne illness, in recent months, listeria has been the focus of a number of outbreaks and we have long been reporting on the rash of food borne contaminations from Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, Salmonella, and Botulism, to name a few. Part of the reason such illnesses are on the rise, is this country’s outdated and under-funded food-surveillance system that has become overwhelmed by the emergence of mega-farms, -distribution centers, and -transporters. Meanwhile, just last week, the FSIS announced that individually packaged ready-to-eat chicken and turkey sandwiches, manufactured by DBC, Inc.—which also does business as World Class Canapés—were recalled over similar Listeria contamination concerns discovered through microbiological sampling. According to state officials, the sandwiches may have been sold in up to 18 Roche Brothers and Sudbury Farms in eastern Massachusetts.
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