Reser's recalls over 100 products over Listeria threat

(UPI) -- Over 100,000 cases of refrigerated products from Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. are being recalled across the United States over a possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday.

The products, from the company's Topeka, KS salad manufacturing facility, were also distributed in Canada. The contamination was in fact discovered during testing at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the company said.

A traceback investigation and follow-up testing at the facility conducted by the FDA determined there was potential cross-contamination of products with Listeria monocytogenes from product contact surfaces.

No illnesses have been reported thus far.

The potentially contaminated products were sent to retailers and distributors in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The recall covers about 109,000 cases of refrigerated ready-to-eat products including several kinds of chicken salad, ham salad, barbecue beans with beef, and potato salad with bacon. The products bear the establishment number EST. 13520 or P-13520 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The affected packages are marked with a use-by or best buy date followed by plant identifier code 20.

A full list of the affected products is available at the FDA website.

According to the FDA, "Listeria is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant woman."