Another week yields another recall, and this time, it looks like hot dogs and corn dogs are getting the boot.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Bar-S Foods Company of Altus, Okla. will recall over 372,000 pounds of its hot dog and corn dog products due to fears of possible listeria contamination.
The company says several several varieties of its ready-to-eat chicken and pork hot dog and corn dog items produced from July 10, 2016 to July 13, 2016 could contain the bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults, pregnant women, newborn babies and adults with compromised immune systems.
"Bar-S Foods notified FSIS' Dallas District Office on July 19, 2016, of its intention to recall five chicken and pork hot dog and corn dog products that could potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes," a statement on the FSIS website reads.
So far, there have been no reports of anyone being sickened or exhibiting adverse reactions after consuming any of the products affected by the recall, but Bar-S has opted to remove them from circulation to be on the safe side.
The following is a list of affected Bar-S products, all of which bear the "EST. P-81A" inside the USDA mark of inspection, and were shipped to retail locations nationwide:
– 16-oz/1-lb. packages of “BAR-S Classic bun length Franks made with chicken, pork added” with “Use By” date of Oct. 11, 2016 and case code 209.
– 12-oz. packages of “BAR-S Classic Franks made with chicken, pork added” with package code 6338, “Use By” date of Oct. 10, 2016 and case code 6405.
– 24-oz./1.5-lb. cartons of “Signature Pick 5 Corn Dogs – 8 Honey Batter Dipped Franks On A Stick” with a “Use By” date of April 6, 2017 and case code 6071.
– 42.72-oz./2.67-lb. cartons of “BAR-S Classic Corn Dogs – 16 Honey Batter Dipped Franks On A Stick” with “Use By” dates of April 7, 2017 and April 8, 2017 and case code 6396.
– 48-oz./3-lb. cartons of “BAR-S Classic Corn Dogs – 16 Honey Batter Dipped Franks On A Stick” with package code 14054, “Use By” dates of April 6, 2017 and April 9, 2017, and case code 14038.
Anyone who finds they are in possession of these products are urged to not eat them. Rather, they should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase for a refund.
Listeria outbreaks are common, and the CDC estimates that the infection leads to the hospitalization of 1,600 people each year, with 260 of these instances ending in death.
Infection is usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. However, in rare instances, persons without these risk factors can also be affected. For healthy individuals, it can cause symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
