VALLEY INNOVATIVE SERVICES RECALLS MEAT AND POULTRY FROZEN ENTRÉE PRODUCTS
DUE TO POSSIBLE LISTERIA CONTAMINATION
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2017– Valley Innovative Services, a Pearl, Miss. establishment, is recalling approximately 130,071 pounds of meat and poultry frozen entrée products which included a non-meat ingredient (waffles) that was recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The heat-treated, not fully cooked, not shelf stable chicken and waffle, turkey ham & waffle, and oatmeal with waffle and sausage patty frozen entrée items were produced and packaged from May 2016 through May 2017. The following products are subject to recall:
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18350” on the packaging label. These items were shipped to institutions nationwide.
The problem was discovered when Valley Innovative Services was notified by their waffle supplier that the waffle product used in the frozen entrée products was recalled due to potential Lm contamination.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify theircustomers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Jonathan Palmer, Customer Service Representative, at (601) 420-8847. Members of the media with questions regarding the recall can contact Brittany Mayer-Schuler, Vice President for Legal Affairs/General Counsel, at (866) 721-7859.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.