230,000-plus pounds of ham and pepperoni recalled after listeria found

More than 230,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products shipped to retail stores nationwide are being recalled because they may be contaminated with listeria.

Alexander & Hornung, a St. Clair Shores, Michigan-based business unit of Perdue Premium Meat Co., initiated the recall after product sampling detected the bacteria that can cause serious infection, according to a notice posted Sunday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, or FSIS.

The recall includes 17 products bearing the establishment number “EST. M10125” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The numerous meat brands being recalled include Alexander & Hornung, Big Y, Butcher Boy, Five Star, Food Club, Garrett Valley Farms, Niman Ranch, Open Nature and Wellshire Wood. See the full list here. Photos of the Alexander & Hornung branded fully cooked products and private label can be found here.

Usually caused by eating contaminated food, listeria is a serious infection that hits about 1,600 Americans each year, killing around 260 people annually. The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults ages 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. The infection is treated with antibiotics.

There have not been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consuming the products, the company said, adding that they should be discarded or returned to the pace of purchase.

The recalled products were produced on various dates and FSIS is concerned some may still be in people’s refrigerators or freezers.