Indiana Company Recalls RTE Pork Product After FSIS Samples Test Positive for LM

Fisher Packing Company, a Redkey, Ind. establishment, is recalling approximately 744 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pork products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that a sample of product produced by Fisher Packing Company confirmed positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-095-2019-release
Fisher Packing Company Recalls Ready-To-Eat Pork Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Class I Recall
095-2019
Health Risk: High
Sep 28, 2019

Wisconsin Firm Recalls Pork Product Due to Listeria Detected by FSIS

Malone’s Fine Sausage Inc., a Milwaukee, Wis. establishment, is recalling approximately 26,323 pounds of ready-to-eat pork head cheese product that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The problem was discovered on Oct. 9, 2018 by FSIS inspection program personnel while verifying the disposition of product that FSIS tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-088-2018-release
Malone's Fine Sausage, Inc. Recalls Pork Head Cheese Products due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Class I Recall 
088-2018 
Health Risk: High 
Oct 10, 2018 

Ham Product Recalled Due to the Potential for Listeria Contamination

A Memphis, TN company is recalling over 4 tons of ham after a FSIS Food Safety Audit (FSA) found that Listeria may be present.

USDA Recall Notice
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2017/recall-039-2017-release
Fineberg Packing Co., Inc. Recalls Ready-To-Eat Ham Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Class I Recall 039-2017
Health Risk: High

Apr 25, 2017

Washington Firm Recalls Whole Roaster Hogs Due to Salmonella

A Washington firm is recalling whole roaster hogs after that firms product was linked to an outbreak of Salmonella.

This same firm had a recall last summer due to the same issue...Salmonella.  The strain in that case was Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i, the same strain that was in this case.  So if one had to guess, this strain could have developed a niche within the process facility and then get onto the hog carcass in higher numbers.  A virulent strain, it then cross contaminates surfaces when handled by those barbequing the hogs, or perhaps the hogs are not getting to the final temperature.

FSIS issued a health alert about the safety procedures needed when cooking whole hogs. "Roasting a pig is a complex undertaking with numerous potential food handling issues. FSIS urges consumers to keep the four food safety steps in mind: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill."
USDA FSIS News Release
Link.
 Kapowsin Meats Inc. Recalls Pork Products Due To Possible Salmonella Contamination
Class I Recall 062-2016
Health Risk: High Jul 21, 2016

Raw Whole Pigs Recalled Due to Link to Salmonella Outbreak

A Washington slaughter facility is recalling raw whole pig carcasses due to the fact they were tied to a number of salmonellosis cases which now stands at 134.
 
While we know raw pig can contain Salmonella, this recall was probably issued due to the number of cases as well as the uniqueness of the Salmonella strain.  The questions that will hopefully be answered - what was the level of Salmonella present, was there any contributing factors that provided opportunity for the organism to proliferate within the facility, and what can said about the virulence of this particular strain of Salmonella.


USDA News Release
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2015/recall-110-2015-release
Kapowsin Meats Recalls Pork Product Due To Possible Salmonella Contamination
Class I Recall 110-2015
Health Risk: High Aug 13, 2015

Congressional and Public Affairs  Gabrielle N. Johnston   (202) 720-9113 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2015 – Kapowsin Meats, a Graham, Wash. establishment, is recalling approximately 116,262 pounds of whole hogs that may be contaminated with Salmonella I 4, [5],12:i:-, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The whole hogs for barbeque item were produced on various dates between April 18, 2015 and July 27, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:
Varying weights of Whole Hogs for Barbeque

Was Salmonella Invited to the Pig Roast?

Going to a pig roast or even hosting a pig roast?  Well guess what.....pork can contain Salmonella so make sure those who are cooking the pig and then handling the cooked meat do it properly.  There have been 8 illness clusters with approximately 90 reported cases in Washington State that have been associated with pig roasts.

So you get invited to a pig roast....don't be afraid to ask questions.....
Who the heck is cooking it, and have they cooked pigs before?   Dr. Campbell, PhD Meat Scientist or Hogs Galore, pig-cooking specialists...great.  Jimmy, lawn boy, first time pig roaster....maybe not.
Do they have equipment?  A BBQ pit specifically built for cooking pigs....excellent.  Jimmy's dug-out-pit in his back yard....yikes...
How big is the pig and how long are they cooking it?  Jimmy is picking up the pig in the morning and serving it that afternoon....seriously?
What kind of beverages are they serving?  Because if things don't look right when you get there (no thermometers being used, uncleaned surfaces, etc), be sure there are some tasty beverages........that may be all that you want to consume.

USDA Release
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Pork Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-and-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2015/pha-073115

Congressional and Public Affairs   Gabrielle N. Johnston   (202) 720-9113

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella that may be associated with pork products, specifically whole pigs used for pig roasts.

Food Safety Quick Hits - Hyperlinks for June 5, 2015

A Colorado meat company is recalling ground elk meat after analysis conducted by the company showed the product was positive for E. coli O157:H7.   The product was packed in 205 eight pound cases containing 8 one pound packages and was shipped to NC, SC, and VA.

A Michigan company is recalling close to 50,000 lbs of pork sausage due to potential contamination of foreign material.  The notice said the issue was discovered during verification testing. 

Trichinellosis Surveillance in the United States, 2008 - 2012 - Summary of CDC Report

CDC issued a surveillance report on cases of Trichinellosis.  This is a quick summary.

 

Trichinellosis is a parasitic disease caused by Trichinella, a nematode. It had been traditionally associated with undercooked pork, but more recently it is more associated with wild game.  [Prior to improvements in pig husbandry in 1940's and 1950's, it was estimated that over 15% of people in the US had been infected by Trichinella.]

 

From the report:

"Trichinella infection in human hosts can be divided into an intestinal (enteral) phase and a muscular (parenteral) phase, with clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infection to fatal disease, depending on the number of larvae ingested. After ingestion, larvae are released into the intestinal mucosa and subsequently migrate to the blood vessels, from which they spread throughout the body before reaching the skeletal muscles."

 During the initial phase, within the first few days of infection, symptoms can range from asymptomatic to severe gastrointestinal distress.  As the parasite migrates to the muscle and embeds itself, the person can have fever, muscle pain, and swelling.  Death can occur in cases where this is inflammation of the heart, brain, or lung tissue as well as due to respiratory failure from a high level of infection of encysted worms in the diaphragm muscle [it gets so many encysted worms that the muscle can't work...tell me that isn't a miserable way to buy the farm].

 

During the reporting period, 2008-2012, there were 84 confirmed cases.

• 22 cases were linked with pork products, including 10 with commercial pork products, 6 with wild boar, and 1 with home-raised swine, and 5 unspecified.
• 41 cases were linked to bear meat
• 2 cases with deer meat
• 2 with ground meat
• 17 cases unknown
• From 51 cases that were further investigated, 24 reported eating raw or undercooked meat [for the other cases, as we know, people hate to admit being stupid...who wants to admit eating bear tartare, or drinking the fresh blood of their hunted bear prey...yeah, you know that guy].

So the number of cases has continued to decline thanks to commercial pork practices and better cooking practices by the consumer, but vigilance is still needed, especially with wild game.  Consumers of pork and game must follow proper cooking or freezing methods to destroy the parasite.