DELAWARE IMPACTED BY NATIONAL FOOD RECALL PUBLIC HEALTH URGES CONSUMERS CAUTION

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Delawareans of a voluntary recall of refrigerated ready-to-eat products manufactured by Reser's Fine Foods, Inc. that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. At this time, there are no illnesses associated with these products in Delaware or elsewhere in the U.S. Out of an abundance of caution, DPH is encouraging consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers for these products, and to discard or return them to the store where they were purchased.

The recalled product is sold in retail and food service establishments and distributed nationwide. The packages are marked with a Use-by-Date or Best By Date and followed by a plant identifier code of 20. Products affected by this recall are listed at www.resers.com/images/uploads/news/Final-Resers-EXPANDED-Press-Release-Topeka-Salad.pdf and www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm372345.htm.

Listeria is an organism that can cause serious and sometime fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Healthy people 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 woman.

If you or a member of your family has consumed (or believe that you have consumed one of the recalled products) and are experiencing any of the symptoms above, please seek medical attention.

DPH is aware of at least one hospital and four school districts that have received recalled products in Delaware; all impacted products are in the process of being disposed of or are being returned to the distributor. None of these locations report illness associated with the recall at this time.

• Hospital:
  
• Beebe Medical Center
• 
  Schools:
  Brandywine School District
  
• Brandywine High School,
• Concord High School,
• Mt. Pleasant High School,
• Talley Middle School
• 
  Cape Henlopen School District
  
• H. O. Brittingham Elementary,
• Lewes School,
• Mariner Middle School,
• and
• Rehoboth Elementary
• 
  Capital School District
• Dover High School
• 
  Smyrna School District
• Smyrna High School

DPH staff is working with the FDA and local partners, including school food service personnel, to determine if any additional recalled product was shipped to Delaware. For further information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the DPH website at: dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/listeriofaq.pdf.

For questions regarding the recalled products, contact Reser's Consumer Hotline at 1-888-257-7913. For any questions regarding illness, please contact your healthcare provider. For medical providers to report suspected cases of listeriosis associated with consumption of the recalled food, call the DPH Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 1-888-295-5156.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.