Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Amelia McGrew

Regional Extension Agent

Food Safety, Preparation & Preservation

November 18, 2008

Time to Check Our Fridge: Listeria Strikes Again

The recent recall of hot dog products underscores the risks associated with Listeria Monocytogenes, a pathogen that can be described as “one tough bug.”  Listeria is a type of bacteria found in soil and ground water and on plants. If food becomes contaminated with listeria it can cause a serious illness known as listeriosis. The people who are most at risk for this food-borne illness are pregnant women and their unborn babies and newborns, along with older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

One of the food safety challenges with listeria is that it can grow at a refrigeration temperature of 40 degrees or below and is found in ready-to-eat foods.

Below are recommendations compiled from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 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 pâté, 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, queso blanco, queso 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 °F or lower and the freezer 0 °F or lower. Use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature of your refrigerator.

Ziegler, a Selma, Alabama meat processor is recalling over 28, 000 pounds of hot dog products that may be contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes.  For a listing of items subject to the Ziegler recall, please visit:  www.fsis.usda.gov  or contact company Controller Ken Fitzgerald at (800) 392-6328.

For more information concerning this topic, contact Amelia McGrew, Regional Extension Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at 251-574-8445 or email at mcgreaj@auburn.edu.

Email address: mcgreaj@aces.edu

Phone number: (251) 574-8445

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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