Smoked Salmon Dip Recalled: Possible Health Risk to Children, Pregnant and Elderly

Smoked Salmon Dip manufactured by House of Thaller, Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee was voluntarily recalled. Five-hundred and twenty-nine pounds of the product was pulled from Kroger shelves because it was possibly contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. It is an organism that affects young children, pregnant, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, and it can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. An estimated 2,000 people in the United states become seriously ill from Listeriosis each year, and 500 of them die.

Refrigerated smoked seafood is at a very high risk for containing Listeria. You can find it in the refrigerator section or deli counter in grocery stores. The canned smoked salmon can be eaten.

Listeriosis can cause high fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. Infection can spread to the nervous system and can cause symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur. There is a wide range of symptoms.

Pregnant women are highest at risk at 20 times more likely to get Listeriosis than the other groups. They may experience only a mild, flu-like illness. Sometimes infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or still birth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn. Their babies receive the blunt of the illness. Other people with the health risk of being affected are those with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease, people with Aids, and people who take glucocorticosteroid medications.

The Listeriosis contaminated Smoked Salmon Dip was distributed to the following states:
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The product was packed under the Kroger brand and was sold in the Kroger Seafood Department.

The Smoked Salmon Dip was packed in a plastic rectangular container and is marked with Use By 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3. House of Thaller, Inc. is also including the following products also in the clear plastic 7.5 ounce container.

1. Cajun Salmon Dip with code Use by 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3. .
2. Southern Crab Dip with code Use by 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04Nov2007B LN3. .
3. Sun Dried Tomato Crab with code Use by 24OCT2007A LN3.

So far, no one has gotten ill over this Listeria contamination. If you have purchased any of these products with the code dates noted above, please return them back to the Kroger store where you purchased them for a full refund.

You can contact House of Thaller, Inc. at 1-800-462-3365 for more information.

Sources:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/listeriosis_g.htm#symptoms
www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/thaller10_07.html