Warning issued for certain ham salad items due to Listeria contamination fears
Headline: U.S. Issues Public Health Alert for Certain Ham Salads Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for certain Reser's and Molly's Kitchen ham salads due to possible Listeria contamination. Consumers are urged not to consume these products and to discard or return them immediately.
Details
The affected products include 12-ounce tubs of Reser's Fine Foods Ham Salad and 5-pound tubs of Molly's Kitchen Ham Salad, both with sell-by dates of September 1, 2025, and August 31, 2025, respectively. These products were found to contain FDA-regulated breadcrumbs that have been recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The contamination stems from recalled breadcrumbs used in the production of the affected products, which were provided by Newly Weds Foods. Both products bear the USDA mark of inspection and were distributed nationally.
FSIS will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if additional products are identified or new developments arise. Retailers are also being told not to sell or serve the affected products.
Risk and Symptoms
Listeria monocytogenes can cause a serious infection called listeriosis. Pregnant individuals may experience miscarriages or stillbirths due to listeriosis, while older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women are particularly at risk.
Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, confusion, and convulsions. If you have consumed the recalled products and are experiencing flu-like symptoms, seek immediate medical attention and inform your healthcare provider about the potential exposure to contaminated food.
As of now, there are no confirmed reports of illness related to the recalled products.
What to Do
If you have purchased the affected products, do not consume them. Instead, discard them or return them to the place of purchase. If you have any questions about food safety, you can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or email [email protected].
Consumers can also report food safety issues through the FSIS Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, available 24/7.
Extended Recall
Additional reports suggest that Reser's Tuna Salad products have also been recalled over possible Listeria contamination, indicating that the issue extends beyond ham salads in Reser's product line. No other brands besides Reser's Fine Foods and Molly's Kitchen have been publicly identified in this recall related to the breadcrumb contamination.
Reser's Fine Foods, Inc., based in Topeka, Kansas, identified the issue after learning they had used breadcrumbs recalled by the FDA due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. FSIS warns that more products could be identified as further information becomes available.
Stay tuned for updates from the FSIS regarding this ongoing situation.
Science plays a crucial role in identifying medical-conditions like listeriosis, a serious infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes often found in food-and-drink. In the present situation, a public health alert was issued for certain ham salads due to possible Listeria contamination, underlining the importance of health-and-wellness and lifestyle modifications, such as proper food handling and hygiene in preventing such instances.
