Rich Products Corporation Recalls Beef Products due to Possible Listeria Contamination

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2018 Rich Products Corporation, a Vineland, N.J. establishment, is recalling approximately 3,420 pounds of beef meatball products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ready-to-eat (RTE) frozen beef meatball items were produced on Dec. 17, 2017. The following products are subject to recall:

• 36-lb. cases containing six 6-lb. bags of Members Mark Casa DI BERTACCHI ITALIAN STYLE BEEF MEATBALLS with a Best if Used By 17 DEC 2018 label and a lot code of 15507351 on the packaging.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number EST. 5336 inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distributors in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

The problem was discovered on Jan. 24, 2018 when FSIS received notification from the firm that they shipped adulterated product into commerce.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads 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 in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' freezers.

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.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Customer Care at Rich Products Corporation at 1-800-356-7094. Media with questions regarding the recall can contact Dwight Gram, Vice President Communications and Public Relations, at 716-878-8749.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

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