WASHINGTON About 3,590 pounds of bacon bits have been recalled because of concerns that the products may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Inspection Service said Saturday.
The products were produced by the firm Patrick Cudahy in Cudahy, Wis., on Nov. 13, and were distributed to restaurants and foodservice institutions in California, Colorado, Florida, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered after in-house testing by an establishment that had received the product, though the Food and Safety Inspection Service said it has received no reports of illnesses related to the bacon bits.
Implicated are 10-pound cases of “Golden Crisp Applewood Smoked Precooked Bacon Toppings,” as well as 10-pound cases of “John Morrell Applewood Smoked Precooked Bacon Toppings.” Both have the establishment number EST.28 inside the USDA mark of inspection and the Julian date of 8318.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease characterized by high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Those most at risk are infants, the elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.