Gourmet Boutique chicken, meat recalled

WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- More than 143 tons of meat and poultry products from a Jamaica, N.Y., firm were being recalled Sunday after federal officials warned of possible contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the fresh and frozen products from Gourmet Boutique LLC may be tainted with Listeria monocytogenes. The list of suspect products includes chicken salad, fajitas, burritos and tortilla wraps marketed under the Gourmet Boutique, Jan's and Archer Farms brands.

The Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said the recall was issued for 286,320 pounds of Gourmet Boutique products. The salad products were made April 19-24, while the frozen products were produced between Oct. 23, 2007, and April 23. The food was sent to food service and retail outlets across the country.

Florida health officials first discovered the problem through microbiological sampling. No illnesses have been linked to the Gourmet Boutique products, they said.

Listeria monocytogenes contamination can cause listeriosis, which can cause high fever, severe headache, stiffness and nausea, as well as miscarriages, stillbirths and possibly fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems.