Meat Recall In VA: Ham Linked To Death, Beef Tied To Salmonella

VIRGINIA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is urging consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers in a recall of more than 89,000 pounds of ready-to-eat ham products and more than 6.9 million pounds of raw beef. Officials say the ham has been linked to one death, and the beef has sickened people across 16 states, including Virginia.

The meats are part of two separate recalls, both of which include products distributed in Virginia.

If you have these items in your fridge or pantry, you should check the label and toss accordingly.

Ready-To-Eat Ham Recalled

The ham products made by Johnston County Hams were recalled due to threat of listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall includes ham products distributed in Maryland, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina and Virginia.

Agriculture officials say the ready-to-eat ham, made in Smithfield, North Carolina, has been linked to four cases of listeriosis and one death between July 8, 2017, and Aug. 11, 2018.

Listeriosis is a serious bacterial infection that often leads to hospitalization and death for one out of every five infected, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and gastrointestinal symptoms, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

Most at risk for the foodborne listeriosis are the elderly, pregnant women and their newborns, and those with weakened immune systems. "In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn," according to the USDA, as the infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

According to the USDA, these are the recalled ham products, produced between April 3, 2017, and Oct. 2:

• Varying weights of 7 to 8-lbs. plastic-wrapped "JOHNSTON COUNTY HAMS, INC. COUNTRY STYLE FULLY COOKED BONELESS DELI HAM."
• Varying weights of 7 to 8-lbs. plastic-wrapped "Ole Fashioned Sugar Cured The Old Dominion Brand Hams Premium Fully Cooked Country Ham" with Sell-By dates from 4/10/2018 to 9/27/2019.
• Varying weights of 7 to 8-lbs. plastic-wrapped "Padow's Hams & Deli, Inc. FULLY COOKED COUNTRY HAM BONELESS Glazed with Brown Sugar."
• Varying weights of 7 to 8-lbs. plastic-wrapped "Premium Fully Cooked Country Ham LESS SALT Distributed By: Valley Country Hams LLC" with Sell-By dates from 4/10/2018 to 9/27/2019.
• Varying weights of 7 to 8-lbs. plastic-wrapped "GOODNIGHT BROTHERS COUNTRY HAM Boneless Fully Cooked."

The products subject to recall bear establishment number "EST. M2646" inside the USDA mark of inspection, the USDA said.

What To Do With Recalled Ham

Consumers who have any recalled ham should return it to the store for a refund or throw it away, the CDC said. "Even if some ham was eaten and no one got sick, do not eat it," officials advise. "If you do not know if the ham you purchased was recalled, ask the place where you purchased it or throw it away."

The CDC also urges those in possession of the recalled ham products to wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators and freezers where the ham was stored. Here are five steps to clean your refrigerator.

You can read more about the Johnston County Ham recall here.

6.9 Million Pounds Of Beef Recalled

Certain JBS Tolleson beef products sold in Virginia could be contaminated with Salmonella Newport, according to federal agriculture officials. The Arizona company is recalling about 6.9 million pounds of various raw, non-intact beef products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Thursday.

The products, including ground beef, were packaged between July 26 and Sept. 7, then shipped to retailers and institutions across the country, including Virginia. The products have the establishment number “EST. 267” inside the USDA mark of inspection, officials said.

Here are the beef items that were distributed to Virginia:

• Cedar River Farms Natural Beef

Click here to see the full list of recalled items. Here are the labels.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service learned Sept. 5 that investigators were looking into Salmonella Newport illnesses. Federal and state health officials later concluded that raw ground beef probably caused people to fall ill and JBS was the common supplier. An investigation revealed 57 people spanning 16 states became sickened by the meat between Aug. 5 and Sept. 6.

Food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, a common bacterial foodborne illness. Common symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within hours or days of eating the tainted food. People can remain sick for up to a week, though most recover without treatment.

Some people can become so sick as to need hospitalization. Older adults, babies and people with weak immune systems are most likely to develop a severe illness, the agency said.

What To Do With Recalled Beef

Officials are worried people may have the recalled beef stored in their freezers.

“These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” the USDA said.

Read more about the JBS Tolleson recall of 6,912,875 pounds of beef.

Patch editors Dan Hampton and Kimberly Johnson contributed to this report.

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