Bar-S Foods Company is recalling more than 350,000 pounds of hot dogs and corn dogs made with chicken and pork that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday. No illnesses have been reported.
This is a precautionary measure, the company said. Test results do not indicate contamination, but the company has decided to remove the products from the market because they were made at a manufacturing site where there have been recurring Listeria issues.
Eating food contaminated with the Listeria bacteria can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and those with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients.
Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, which may be preceded by diarrhea or other symptoms of gastrointestinal upset. Almost everyone diagnosed with listeriosis will have an invasive infection spreading beyond this, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In such cases, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions may occur.
In pregnant women, symptoms can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a life-threatening infection of the newborn. Sepsis and meningitis may occur in older adults and people with a compromised immune system.
The recalled items include Bar-S Classic Corn Dogs, Signature Foods Corn Dogs, Bar-S Classic Bun Length Franks and Bar-S Classic Franks. These ready-to-eat items were produced between July 10 and July 13 of this year. “Consumers who have these recalled products should return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund,” the company said in its recall announcement.
The USDA and the company are concerned that some consumers may have frozen these products. Freezers should be checked and products thrown away or returned to the store.