NEW YORK FIRM RECALLS MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS

Recall Release
CLASS I RECALL Congressional and Public Affairs
HEALTH RISK: HIGH Peggy Riek (202) 720-9113
FSIS-RC-09-2008

NEW YORK FIRM RECALLS MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS
FOR POSSIBLE LISTERIA CONTAMINATION

Recommendations for people at risk for Listeriosis

Wash hands with warm, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and poultry for at least 20 seconds. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water. Immediately clean spills.

Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.

Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna or other deli meats unless reheated until steaming hot.

Do not eat refrigerated pate, meat spreads from a meat counter or smoked seafood found in the refrigerated section of the store. Foods that don’t need refrigeration, like canned tuna and canned salmon, are safe to eat. Refrigerate after opening.

Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk and do not eat foods that have unpasteurized milk in them.

Do not eat salads made in the store such as ham salad, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad or seafood salad.

Do not eat soft cheeses such as Feta, quesco blanco, quesco fresco, Brie, Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses and Panela unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk.

Use precooked or ready-to-eat food as soon as you can. Listeria can grow in the refrigerator. The refrigerator should be
40 ºF or lower and the freezer 0º F or lower. Use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature of your refrigerator.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 4, 2008 – Gourmet Boutique, L.L.C., a Jamaica, N.Y., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 6,970 pounds of meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

6-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE HONEY CHICKEN SALAD.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE CHICKEN MARSALA.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST IN TERIYAKI SAUCE, PORTION CONTROL.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
6-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN, PORTION CONTROL.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
6-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN, PORTION CONTROL, Keep Frozen.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE Home Style Chicken Salad.” Each package bears the establishment number
“P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
4-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE Grilled Chicken B&E PRET A MANGER.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3.5-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE Breaded and Fried Chicken Cutlet.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3.125-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE ITALIAN STALLION TWISTER.” Each package bears the establishment number “EST. 18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
8-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE Meatloaf with Gravy KIT.” Each package bears the establishment number “EST. 18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
4.6-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE CHICKEN BURRITO.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3.125-pound bulk packages of “GOURMET BOUTIQUE TURKEYCLUB TWISTER.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-18799” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The recalled products bear the production code of “GBD 08058” on the package. The meat and poultry products were produced on Feb. 26 and 27, 2008, and were sent to retail establishments in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and distribution centers in New York.

The problem was discovered through FSIS microbiological sampling. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product.

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.

Media with questions about the recall should contact company Vice President for Operations, Andrew Murphy at (718) 977-1200 (ext. 0163). Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Quality Control Manager Vanessa Lindsay at (718) 977-1200 (ext. 0166).

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at 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 l0 a.m. to
4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

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NOTE: Access news releases and other information at FSIS’ Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/