More than 3,200 pounds of Gourmet Classic Salads products, ranging from turkey wraps to breakfast bowls, are being recalled from as yet unknown retail locations because the FDA found Listeria monocytogenes on food contact surfaces at the production facility.
“The ready-to-eat salad, wrap and snack items were produced and packaged from Jan. 30, 2017, through Feb. 24, 2017,” according to the recall notice posted on the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website Tuesday.
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”
Gourmet Classic Salads Inc. of Lake Wall, FL, sent the recalled products “to a distributor in Florida for further distribution,” but additional distribution information was not available when the recall was posted. When retail locations are known, the FSIS will post them online.
Consumers and retailers can identify the recalled products from Gourmet Classic Salads Inc. by checking label information, including either of two establishment numbers — “EST. 19276” or “P-19276” — inside the USDA mark of inspection.
All of the recalled ready-to-eat products are in clear plastic containers or round black plastic bowls with clear lids, with one item each. Specific products recalled are:
- “Turkey Pesto on Tomato Basil Wrap”
- “Steak Fajita on White Wrap”
- “Chicken Pepper Jack Wrap”
- “Chicken Caesar Salad”
- “Chef Salad”
- “Cobb Salad”
- “Chicken Caesar on Spinach Wrap”
- “Chicken Salad Snacker”
- “Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Snacker”
- “Chicken Salad Cup”
- “Pepperoni & Cheese” snack box
- “Turkey & Havarti Lettuce Wrap”
- “Breakfast Bowl: Italian Sausage, Egg, Cheese & Potato”
- “Southwest Breakfast Bowl”
- “Chicken Tender Bowl”
- “Ziti with Sausage & Cheese”
The problem was discovered when the Food and Drug Administration notified USDA that the company may have produced USDA-regulated products on dates that FDA food contact surface samples had tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions or illnesses due to consumption of these products.
However, it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms of Listeria infection to develop. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Invasive cases see the infection spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract.
In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections occur in older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Listeria. People who have eaten the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms for the next two months.
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