Listeria: Frozen Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods Recalled

HAYWARD, CA - If you enjoy Indian foods and buy frozen meals, check your freezer.

A Hayward-based food manufacturer is recalling 264 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken tikka masala that may have been contaminated with listeria last week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The frozen, microwaveable 11-ounce containers were produced Nov. 7 by Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods and are marked with the number "P-44187" on the side of each carton. They have a use-by date of Nov. 7, 2018.

The problem was discovered Monday, when the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed that a sample taken on the date of production had tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

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So far, no reports have of adverse reactions have surfaced, but consumption of the contaminated food can cause listeriosis - a serious infection that mostly affects older adults, newborns and people with weakened
immune systems.

Symptoms include fever, muscle and headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions as well as diarrhea and other digestive problems. Pregnant women infected with listeriosis may suffer miscarriages, stillbirths and premature delivery as well as life-threatening infections for the newborn baby.

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Anyone in high-risk categories who develops symptoms within two months of eating the contaminated chicken tikka masala should see a health care provider.

Storrie Johnson, a spokesperson for Sukhi's, said the majority of the contaminated units have already been taken out of distribution. "There's basically 21 packages of product that are potentially in the field here in Northern California," Johnson said. "It's essentially an isolated incident."

— Bay City News contributed to this report; Image via USDA