Espi’s Sausage and Tocino Co., a Seattle, Wash. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,048 pounds of frozen ready-to-eat chicken and pork hot dog products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced.
The frozen ready-to-eat chicken and pork hot dog product was produced on May 19, 2021. The following products are subject to recall [view the labels here]:
- 12-oz vacuum packed plastic packages containing “Argentina MIGHTY MEATY CHICKEN AND PORK HOTDOG JUMBO” and SELL BY 051922.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-17524” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to a distributor in California and further distributed to retail locations.
The problem was discovered by FSIS during an assessment of the establishment’s sampling records that indicated the firm received confirmation from their third-party lab that a product contact surface had returned positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
FSIS advises those at increased risk of foodborne illness to reheat hot dogs to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot before eating, due to the threat of listeriosis. The only way to confirm that hot dogs are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.
Media and consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Ester Somintac, Plant Manager for Espi's Sausage and Tocino Co., at (206) 722-3365 or espisfood@yahoo.com.
Original recall and updates at FSIS.usda.gov