Vita Food Products Recalls Smoked Salmon Due To Listeria Concerns
By Isaac Fletcher, contributing writer, Food Online
Illinois-based Vita Food Products is recalling nearly a ton of smoked salmon sold at various supermarkets due to concerns that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
The product under recall is Vita Classic Premium Sliced Smoked Atlantic Salmon sold in four-ounce packages, which are made of plastic film and vacuum sealed. The packaging is black, with the Vita logo in the bottom center. The sell-by date for the possibly-contaminated product is August 17, 2014, with the lot number 00764B. The product has a UPC code of 2263570038. In tests performed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, one package of the salmon tested positive for Listeria. No illnesses have been reported yet, but listeriosis can take months to fully manifest.
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Beginning April 7, 2014, the product was shipped out to Hannaford grocery stores in NY, MA, VT, and NH. Additionally, H-E-B grocery stores in TX and Publix stores in AL, FL, GA, and SC also carried the product.
Consumers who purchased the product should not eat it, and discard it in a closed container or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers can also request a refund by mailing the product label or a copy of the receipt to Vita Food Products, Attn.: Customer Service, 2222 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL, 60612. The company can also be reached by calling (800) 989-VITA Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) with questions. Additionally, purchasers should be sure to clean their refrigerators with a mild bleach solution, since Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
In the case that the product was consumed, consumers should watch for symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Other dangers caused by Listeria infections include stillbirth and miscarriages in pregnant women, even if the mother has only a mild illness.