Frozen Meals Served in US Schools Recalled Due to Listeria Contamination
Frozen meals served to students across the United States as part of federally-funded school breakfast and lunch programs may be contaminated with listeria and have been recalled, officials announced on Saturday. The recall applied to approximately 91,585 pounds of prepackaged breakfast burritos and wraps, manufactured by the California company M.C.I. Foods between Sept. 17 and Oct. 14, said the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that focuses on public health regulations.
Products Affected by the Recall
Seven different types of frozen breakfast products could be tainted, including burritos and wraps sold by the brands El Mas Fino, Los Cabos, and Midamar, which contain egg, cheese, and various meats like beef, ham, sausage, and turkey. These products are distributed to low-income students around the country as part of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, which the Department of Agriculture administers. The breakfast program served more than 14 million children in 2016, and close to 30 million children participated in the lunch program in 2019, according to the department.
Understanding Listeria Infection
Listeria is an infection caused by bacteria of the same name that spreads through food. Fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, confusion, loss of balance, and a range of gastrointestinal problems are some of the symptoms brought on by the illness, according to the Mayo Clinic. The clinic warns that pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of developing a harmful infection. People can be infected with listeria without becoming seriously ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public Health Concerns and Precautions
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is concerned that some product may be in institutional refrigerators or freezers and has urged institutions not to serve these products. Instead, they should be thrown away. Public health officials note that flu-like symptoms caused by listeria can signal an “invasive” infection, meaning one that has spread from the gastrointestinal tract, where symptoms may start, to other parts of the body. These invasive infections typically develop within two months of eating contaminated food, according to the CDC.
Recent Listeria Outbreaks and Recalls
Multiple listeria outbreaks have been reported just this month, including one that impacted meal kits from the food subscription service HelloFresh and another that forced the recall of nearly 245,000 pounds of precooked pasta from the California company Nate’s Fine Foods, which turned deadly and potentially contaminated dozens of different products sold in grocery stores nationwide. The CDC has estimated that listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S., with 1,250 people contracting the infection and 172 dying from the infection each year.
For more information on the recall and listeria infection, visit the Food Safety and Inspection Service website or consult with a healthcare professional. To stay up-to-date on food recalls and safety alerts, follow reputable sources such as the CDC and the USDA. Learn more about this recall and its implications Here.
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