87,000 Pounds Of Meat Recalled By Illinois Company

ALBERS, IL — An Illinois company is recalling nearly 90,000 pounds of meat due to concerns about Listeria, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Behrmann Meat and Processing Inc., which is based in downstate Albers, is recalling about 87,382 pounds of ready-to-eat meat products that may contain Listeria monocytogenes, the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Saturday. More products are expected to be added to the recall.

The recalled items were produced from July 7 to Sept. 9 and are labeled “EST 20917” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to retail locations and wholesale distributors in Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. A list of names and codes for all recalled products is available at https://bit.ly/3UV0ubw.

The issue was discovered through testing performed by Behrmann and the inspection service, which identified Listeria monocytogenes in Behrmann's processing environment and products, according to the department. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of the products. Anyone concerned about injury or sickness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consuming food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that mainly affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and newborns, according to the department.

Listeriosis can result in fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. People in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell their health provider about the food.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products should not consume them and should instead throw them away or return them.

Those with questions about the recall can contact Connie Haselhorst at 618-248-5151 or email connie@behrmannmeats.com. People with food-safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854, send in a live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, or email MPHotline@usda.gov. Consumers seeking to report a problem with meat, poultry or eggs can do so at foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.