Hawaii Firm Recalls Pork Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released the following information:

WASHINGTON, Aug 10, 2008 – Palama Holdings, LLC, a Kapolei, Hawaii, establishment, is recalling approximately 4,535 pounds of fully cooked pork products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

	Recommendations 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.

The following product is subject to recall: [View Label]

• 16-oz. bags of "MAY'S HAWAII KALUA BRAND PORK (WITH UP TO TWELVE PERCENT SOLUTION ADDED), FULLY COOKED, SMOKE FLAVOR ADDED." Each bag bears the establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as a freeze-by date of "9/17/08" or "9/20/08." These 16-oz. bags available for retail purchase are distributed in packages of three, which are shipped in cases of 15 packages each. Each case is labeled "MAY'S KALUA BRAND PORK, 15 PACKAGES/3 LB EACH" and bears the case code "325466."
• 10-pound cases of "MAY'S KALUA BRAND PORK." Each case bears the establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a date code "21708" and a case code "325469." Each case contains two 5-pound packages intended for food service use.
  

The pork products were produced on Aug. 4 and Aug. 7, 2008, and were distributed to food service and retail establishments in Hawaii to the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Oahu.

The problem was discovered by FSIS routine microbiological testing. FSIS has received no reports of illness associated with consumption of this product. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a medical professional.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, and can also cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. Infection can spread to the nervous system, resulting in high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, confusion and convulsions.

Media with questions about the recall should call company Chief Executive Officer Bill Loose at (808) 682-8362. Consumers with questions about the recall should call company Vice President of Sales Lionel Yokoyama at (808) 682-8368.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.


Type of Recall:
Class I - This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.