Maryland Firm Recalls Sausage For Possible Listeria Contamination

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 1999--The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that P.J.'s, Inc., a Baltimore, Md., company is voluntarily recalling approximately 800 pounds of sausage that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The product being recalled is "Polock Johnny's Polish Sausage." The product was packaged on Nov. 4 in four pound vacuum packages and distributed to retail stores in Baltimore, Md. Each package label bears the establishment's number, "4042," inside the USDA mark of inspection and "SELL BY 1300," indicating Jan. 3, 2000.

"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.

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 headaches, 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 and media with questions about the recall may call Virgil Peugh, P.J.'s Inc., plant manager, at (410) 332-0200.

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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