Firm Recalls Cooked Sausage For Possible Listeria Contamination

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 1999--Gaspar's Sausage Co., Inc., a North Dartmouth, Mass., meat and poultry processing firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 3,720 pounds of cooked sausage that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The products being recalled are approximately one pound packages of Gaspar's Linguica, Gaspar's Chourico, and Gaspar's Turkey Chourico. Each package label has a "Sell-By date" of 11/03/99, followed by either 01 or 02. Each label also bears either "EST#287" or "EST #P-287" inside the USDA inspection mark.

The product was packaged on Aug. 11 and was distributed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

"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 Margaret Glavin, associate administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The problem was discovered through routine FSIS microbiological sampling.

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 recall can call Charles Gaspar, Gaspar's Sausage Co., Inc., at 508-998-2012.

Consumers with questions about food safety may phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday through Friday, and recorded information is available 24 hours a day.

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