An infant has died, and nine others are hospitalised in a multi-state listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat meat and poultry products of US-based Yu Shang Food.
This development had prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a food safety alert.
As of Friday (22 November), 11 cases of listeria infection were reported in California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey.
Among those impacted was a pregnant woman carrying twins, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing the CDC.
Both the infants died, but the CDC confirmed listeria in a sample from only one of them.
The outbreak has been linked to various products from Spartanburg, South Carolina-based Yu Shang Food, including ready-to-eat pork hock, chicken feet, pork feet, duck neck, beef shank, and pork tongue.
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By GlobalData
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has recalled these items, classifying them as “Class 1”, which is the highest classification for a recalled product.
Following the outbreak, Yu Shang Food recalled approximately 72,240 pounds of contaminated ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.
These products were produced before 28 October and carry the establishment numbers P-46684 or EST. M46684 inside the USDA inspection mark.
The issue was identified after FSIS conducted routine testing and follow-up activities on products from Yu Shang Food on 21 October.
Tests confirmed the presence of listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) in the finished products and environmental samples. Further testing, including whole genome sequencing, is underway to establish if these samples match the outbreak strain.
The federal health agency has warned that “some items may still be in people’s refrigerators or freezers” and urged consumers to throw these away or return them to the place of purchase.
Last month, TreeHouse Foods expanded a recall linked to the potential presence of listeria to encompass “all products” manufactured at a facility in Ontario, Canada.
During the same month, BrucePac also initiated a recall of approximately 9.9 million pounds of products due to the listeria outbreak.
According to the health agency, consuming food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can lead to Listeriosis, a severe infection that primarily impacts older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, as well as their newborns.
