Nearly 800,000 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products from Harris Teeter and Trader Joe’s have been recalled due to concerns of salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The USDA said that onions in the meat products are what they believe could be causing contamination to the meat items, which were produced from Sept. 27, 2017 through Oct. 15, 2018.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture was alerted to the issue by food makers and announced the recall on Oct. 17.
The problem was discovered when Bakkavor Foods USA, Inc. received notification that their onion supplier was recalling the onion used in the production of their meat and poultry products.
Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses, according to the USDA. Common symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product.
The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. In some cases however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness.
There have been no confirmed reports of harmful reactions due to consumption of the products, but anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact their health care provider.
By: Maytinee Kramer
