Chicken And Ham Products Recalled After Listeria Scare

Milwaukee-based Garden-Fresh Foods has been ordered by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to recall 19,000 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken and ham products, due to the possibility that the food has been infected by Listeria bacteria, the Associated Press is reporting.

According to the USDA, the foods found their way to retail outlets and food services nationwide, sold as several kinds of chicken and ham salads under the brands Market Pantry, Archer Farms, D'Amico and Sons, Finest Traditions, Garden-Fresh, and Weis. The Listeria was found by the Food and Drug Administration during routine testing, and there have so far been no reports of illness related to eating the product.

Listeria is most dangerous to pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and those with compromised immune systems, and can cause severe gastroenteritis. It can be prevented by wiping down food contact surfaces with alcohol and keeping foods below 39.2 degrees.