Retail delicatessens and their food safety programs are the target of a year-long, nationwide pilot project that begins next week and seeks to determine whether best practices are being used to control Listeria monocytogenes. During a pre-pilot exercise from Dec. 8-15, 2015, inspectors visited 16 retail delis and found that retailers were not aware…
FSIS Requests Comments on Listeria, Allergen Guidance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted four notices to the Federal Register this week. Two solicit comments from the public, while the third provides the agency’s responses to comments on a previous notice. Also posted this week was a fourth notice requesting approval to conduct a new survey of…
Norovirus Temporarily Closes California Deli
A family-owned deli in Northern California was closed for two days last week after its food was linked to at least 45 potential norovirus infections. North Park Deli of Concord, CA shut its doors Tuesday after people who had attended an event catered by the business that weekend began to report gastrointestinal symptoms, reported the…
Crawfish? Crayfish? Mud bugs? Call Them Anything But Lobster
It wasn’t New York City inspectors nor the Food and Drug Administration that found that the nation’s best-known deli was selling lobster salad without the lobster, but a reporter from Cajun country.
I’m not the only one who has traveled hundreds of miles to get to Zabar’s, the Manhattan Mecca for all deli lovers.
The …
Nearly 8 Tons of Deli Meat Recalled
A California company is recalling approximately 15,900 pounds of ready-to-eat deli pastrami and roast beef that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Friday.
Rose & Shore Meat Co. of Vernon, CA said the problem was discovered after the company tested product at the request of a commercial customer who had received a consumer complaint.
FSIS said it has not received any confirmed reports of illnesses associated with these meats.
The deli meats were produced on April 5, 2011, and shipped to distribution centers in California for further distribution to food service establishments in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. There were no retail sales.
The products being recalled include:
• 40 to 50 pound boxes containing packages of “OLYMPIC GOLD BEEF PASTRAMI” with the lot number “20911” and a “04-05-11” pack date on the outside of each box. Each package has the lot number “20911” and lot code “10951.”
• 40 to 50 pound boxes containing packages of “ROSE AND SHORE N.Y. STYLE PASTRAMI” with the lot number “20911” and a “04-05-11” pack date as well as a “29 N.Y.” case code on the outside of each box. Each package has the lot number “20911” and lot code “10951.”
• 9 to 13 pound boxes containing “COOKED ANGUS ROAST BEEF” with lot number “20941” and a use by date of “05-17-11.” Each package has the lot number “20941” and a use by date of “05-17-11.”
• 24 to 30 pound boxes containing packages of “TOGO’S PASTRAMI” with the lot number “20911”, a “04-05-11” pack date and a use by date of “05-23-11” on the outside of each box. Each package has the lot number “20911” and a use by date of “05-23-11.”
• Each box bears EST. 1821 inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, 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 in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.
Questions about the recall should be directed to Larry Vanden Bos, vice president, at 323-826-2144, ext. 110.
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Listeria Concern Prompts Deli Potato Salad Recall
Price Chopper Supermarkets is voluntarily recalling potato salad sold in its deli section because of a possibility that it may be contaminated with Listeria.
According to a news release issued Tuesday by the company, the “Regular Homestyle Potato Salad’ was sold by the pound in the stores’ delis between Saturday, March 19 and Monday, March 28.…
Bad Broccoli Blamed for 64,000 Pound Meat Recall
Tracy, CA-based Taylor Farms Pacific has recalled 64,000 pounds of chicken and pork products because the broccoli in the packages may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
No illnesses have been associated with the bad broccoli in the ready-to-eat products, which were sold in Pavilion’s, Raley’s, Safeway, and Von’s stores in western states.
The chicken and …
Listeria Test Prompts Broccoli Product Recall
A California company has recalled cooked and fresh products containing broccoli that were distributed to Safeway, Vons, Pavilions and Pak N’ Save stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Taylor Farms Pacific announced the recall after a random test by agricultural officials was positive …
FDA Has Food Safety Tips for Deli Slicers
As part of an initiative to improve food safety practices in retail and foodservice establishments, FDA has developed a poster and flyer designed to raise awareness of sanitation concerns with commercial deli slicers commonly used to cut meats, cheeses and produce in food stores, delis and restaurants.
The poster, targeted to operators of food establishments …
USDA Suspends Tyson Deli Meat Plant in Buffalo
Meat processing was temporarily suspended at Tyson’s deli meats plant in Buffalo, NY, an action that by week’s end put 480 people out of work.
The action was “a result of USDA activities following the plant’s voluntary deli meat recall in August,” according to Tyson ‘s spokesman Gary Mickelson.
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection …
Canada: Meat Recall Prompts Plant Shutdown
A national recall of meat products over food poisoning fears has prompted the shutdown of an Ontario plant for a thorough and intensive sanitization.
On Saturday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency told consumers not to consume about 120 ready-to-eat cooked meat products from Brandt Meat Packers Ltd., of Brampton, Ontario.
On Sunday, a company spokeswoman …