WASHINGTON, D.C. — Olymel S.E.C./L.P., a Quebec, Canada establishment, is recalling approximately 6,804 pounds of ready-to-eat ham products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Thursday.
The ham items were packaged on November 5, 2020. The following products are subject to recall [View Labels (PDF Only)]:
- 12-lb. plastic film vacuum package of “Celebrity EXTRA LEAN IMPORTED HAM 98% FAT FREE” with product codes “20309 11 – 91”, “20309 21 – 91”, “20309 31 – 91” or “20309 51 – 91” printed on the side of the packaging.
The products subject to recall bear Canadian establishment number 180 inside the Canadian inspection mark located below the ingredient list. These items were shipped to distributors in California for further distribution for institutional use.
The problem was discovered when FSIS collected a routine product import sample that confirmed positive for the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis. The product subject to recall was determined by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to be associated with the FSIS positive sample result.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 6 hours to 6 days after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Media and consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Richard Vigneault, Media Relations for Olymel S.E.C./L.P., at (514) 497-1385 or rvigneau@videotron.ca. Members of the media can also contact Lennert Berg, COO for Atalanta Corp., at (908) 372-6064. Consumers with questions can also contact Glenn Gaus, Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance for Atalanta Corp., at (908) 845-2079.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.