Smoked salmon dip recalled because of Listeria contamination

The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. has alerted retailers and the public over food suspected of being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

{IMAGE}Approximately 529 pounds of Kroger-brand smoked salmon dip manufactured by the House of Thaller have been recalled due to fears that the product is contaminated with the bacteria.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recall concerns a total of 17 states in the U.S.... Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The product is packed under the Kroger brand and sold in the Kroger Seafood Department and the company also has included several other products in the recall, including some Cajun salmon dip, southern crab dip, and sundried tomato crab carrying the following codes;

• Cajun Salmon Dip,287 pounds,Use By 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3

• Southern Crab Dip,945 pounds,Use By 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3

• Sundried Tomato Crab,516 pounds,Use By 24OCT2007A LN3

The contamination was the result of routine sampling and testing done by the Georgia Department of Agriculture which revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a 7.5 ounce package of Smoked Salmon Dip marked "Use By 04 Nov. 2007A LN3."

Anybody who may have purchased any of the effected products is asked to either throw them away, or return them to the store for a full refund.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

Production of the Smoked Salmon Dip has been suspended while the FDA and the company investigate the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased these products with the code dates noted above are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the House of Thaller, Inc. at 1-800-462-3365.