PA Meat Company Recalls Weisswurst Sausage for Listeria Contamination

WASHINGTON, May 28, 1999--Alpine Wurst & Meat House, a Honesdale, Pa., meat company is voluntarily recalling about 60 pounds of weisswurst sausage that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Subject to recall are sold-to-order packages of weisswurst sold between May 18 and May 25, 1999. The product was distributed only at the meat company’s retail counter.

"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 its routine monitoring program for Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. The most common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms of 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 weakened immune systems--infants, the frail or elderly, and persons with chronic disease, HIV infection, or taking chemotherapy for cancer.

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 can call Mark Eifert, Vice President of Alpine Wurst & Meat House at (570) 253-5899.

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, although recorded information is available 24 hours a day.

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