Georgia Firm Recalls Chicken Products for Possible Listeria Cross Contamination

Date of Recall

2005-07-21

Recall Details

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2005 - Tip Top Poultry, Inc., a Rockmart, Ga., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 170 pounds of cooked chicken products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The products subject to recall are:

• 10 lb. cases of "DICED ½ IN., COOKED CHICKEN MEAT, CARNE DE POLLO COCINADA, NATURAL PROPORTION." The cases carry a code of "15310" and labels bear the establishment number "P-17453" inside the USDA seal of inspection.

	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 pate, 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, quesco blanco, quesco 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 chicken was produced on June 30 and distributed to restaurants and institutions in Florida.

The problem was discovered through USDA laboratory sampling. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.

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 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, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact company Chief Operating Officer Mike Brooks at (770) 973-8070.

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