Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

News and Information

Chicken Salad Recalled In Pennsylvania Because of Listeria Contamination

        WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 1999--Verl's Salads, a Fredericksburg, Pa., company is voluntarily recalling approximately 21 pounds of chicken salad that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

        The product subject to recall is "Verl's Chicken Salad" in 8-oz. containers. The containers have a code of A-920 on the label, and the labels also bear "Est.#P-9527" inside the USDA seal of inspection.

        The product was produced on Aug. 30, and distributed in York, Lebanon and Franklin counties.

        "Because of the potential of foodborne illness, we urge consumers who have purchased the suspect product not to eat it and to return it to the point of purchase," said Thomas J. Billy, administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

        FSIS discovered the problem through routine monitoring samples taken at the establishment.

        Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. 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 weak immune systems--infants, the frail or elderly, and persons with chronic disease, with HIV infection, or taking chemotherapy.

        At this point, FSIS has received no reports of illness associated with this product. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician immediately.

        Consumers with questions about the recalled product may phone Gary or Keith Gingrich of Verl's Salads at (717) 865-2771.

        Consumers with food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The Hotline can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday.

#

NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS Web site on the World Wide Web at http://www.fsis.usda.gov

For Further Information, Contact:

• Consumers: Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-800-535-4555 (voice); 1-800-256-7072 (TTY)

• Media: (202) 720-9113

Recalls Menu | News and Information Page | FSIS Home Page | USDA Home Page