CLAY CENTER -- The Clay Center Locker has issued its voluntary recall of products.
In a news release issued Sunday, the Clay Center Locker, 212 Sixth Street in Clay Center, issued the following public notification of the voluntary recall.
Salmonella and listeria testing is a mandatory procedure that is done throughout the year within the meat industry to insure wholesome and quality products are being produced and entered into commerce. Clay Center Locker’s standard operating procedure is to test and hold all products until negative results are confirmed before releasing any of these products into commerce. On December 7th, 2019 several routine tests were conducted on several different products, by the Kansas Department of Agriculture meat and poultry inspection personnel with one test coming back with a presumptive positive listeria result. This product is still retained at the Clay Center Locker and has never entered commerce. After meeting Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) it was mutually agreed upon to hold this product for future lethality treatment and also to conduct a voluntary recall of any cooked products produced this day to ensure public health safety.
At this time, we are conducting a voluntary recall of 510 pounds of ready to eat cured smoked boneless hams, although none of these products have any positive test results. These hams will have the following labels with these lot numbers.
THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL IS ONLY FOR THESE BONELESS HAMS WITH THESE LOT NUMBERS AND DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OTHER PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN OUR FACILITY AT ANY TIME. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE BONELESS HAMS WITH THESE LOT NUMBERS PLEASE CONTACT US AT 785-632-5550 OR 800-466-5543.
To be commended: With the immediate actions taken by the KDA and KDHE using social media websites and local news wires along with everyone who shared these posts, the vast majority of those with this product have already been notified and been in contact with us. Thank You.
------------
TOPEKA -- The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is alerting consumers that a voluntary recall will be issued on Monday by Clay Center Locker Plant for any ready-to-eat product including smoked pork loins, ham hocks, and smoked ham from the Clay Center Locker Plant produced on Nov. 21, 2019, because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
KDHE urges the public not to consume any product that will be part of this recall. This includes products purchased at the retail counter in the plant and the hams that were delivered to the Future Farmers of America Clay Center and Chapman chapters.
This recall was initiated after Listeria monocytogenes was found in a food sample tested as part of a routine sampling program by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. All known affected distributors and retail and food service customers are being notified. Some of the products were sold through FFA chapters in Chapman and Clay Center. To date, no illnesses have been linked with this recall.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, newborns, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals rarely become ill, older persons and those with weakened immune systems may suffer high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Symptoms begin from three to 70 days after consuming the bacteria. Listeria cannot be spread from person to person.
Anyone who believes they may have become ill with listeriosis should contact their health care provider. For questions related to the recalled products, consumers can contact Clay Center Locker Plant at 785-632-5550. For questions about listeriosis, please visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/listeria or call the KDHE epidemiology hotline at 877-427-7317.