December 21, 2001 — WASHINGTON — Larry?s Sausage Co., a Fayetteville, N.C., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 3,300 pounds of frozen sausage patties that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The products being recalled are 12-pound cases of “Larry?s Fully Cooked Whole Hog Sausage Patties.” Each case contains 96 2-ounce patties. The cases bear the date code “121201” and an establishment code “EST. 8305” located inside the USDA seal of inspection.
The products were distributed to institutions in North Carolina.
“Because of the potential hazard of foodborne illness from consumption of meat products contaminated with harmful bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, diners may wish to ask if meals made with sausage patties contain the recalled product,” said Margaret O?K. Glavin, acting FSIS administrator.
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 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 ? infants, the frail or elderly, and persons with chronic disease, with HIV infection, or taking chemotherapy.
FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
Media and consumers with questions about the recall may contact Sheila Abe, president of Larry?s Sausage Co., at (910) 483-5148.
Consumers with food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday, and recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.