Alexander & Hornung is recalling more than 234,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products because of a possible listeria contamination.
On Sunday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that the company, a subsidiary of Perdue Premium Meat Company, Inc., issued a recall of the products after listeria monocytogenes was found in product samples.
The affected 17 products, which were produced on various dates and shipped to retail locations nationwide, include smoked ham, pepperoni, bone-in ham steak and other pork products.
The products can be identified by the establishment number "EST. M10125" printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. They have sell-by dates ranging between December 2021 and May 2022.
Foods contaminated with listeria can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant individuals and their newborns, according to the FSIS.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In older adults and those with weakened immune systems, serious and sometimes fatal infections can result.
To date, there have been no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of any of the recalled products.
Anyone in a higher-risk category who experiences flu-like symptoms within two months of eating the contaminated products should seek medical care.
The FSIS is urging consumers to check for the products in their refrigerators or freezers. Those who have purchased the products should throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.