WASHINGTON,
November 18, 2002—Mahaffey’s Food Products, a
Myerstown, Pa., establishment, is voluntarily
recalling approximately 1100 pounds of souse,
a cooked pork product, that may be
contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service announced today.
The products subject to recall are 12-and
36-ounce packages of “Mahaffey’s SOUSE.”
Each package bears the establishment number,
“EST. 9656” inside the USDA mark of
inspection. The company’s name and address
are also printed on each label.
The souse was produced and packaged on Nov.
6 and distributed to retail stores in
Pennsylvania.
“Because of the potential for foodborne
illness, we want consumers to be aware of the
recall,” said Dr. Garry L. McKee, FSIS
administrator. “Consumers who have purchased
this product are urged not to eat it but to
return it to the place of purchase.”
The problem was
discovered through routine FSIS
microbiological sampling.
Consumption of
food contaminated with Salmonella can
cause salmonellosis, one of the most common
bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella
infections can be life threatening, especially
for infants, the frail or elderly and persons
with chronic disease, with HIV infection, or
taking chemotherapy. The most common
manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea,
abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72
hours. Additional symptoms include chills,
headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up
to seven days.
FSIS has received no reports of illness
associated with consumption of this product.
Anyone concerned about an illness should
contact a physician.
Consumers and
media with questions about the recall may
contact Erwin Mahaffey, company owner, at
(717) 933-4950.
Consumers with
food safety questions can phone the toll-free
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at
1-800-535-4555. The hotline is available in
English and Spanish and can be reached from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through
Friday. Recorded food safety messages are
available 24 hours a day.
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