Prime Deli Corp. recalls 7-Eleven salads for risk of Listeria, Salmonella in corn

A company that makes food for 7-Eleven stores is recalling more than 200 pounds of ready-to-eat salads because of potential contamination with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Prime Deli Corp. of Lewisville, TX, produced the salads on Oct. 13. The salads have the “best-by” date of Oct. 16. Prime Deli distributed the affected salads to 7-Eleven stores in Texas.

One of the companies that supplies ingredients to Prime Deli Corp. notified the salad producer on Oct. 14 that it was recalling corn because of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella “concerns.” Neither Prime Deli Corp. nor the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service identified the ingredient supplier in the Prime recall notice, which the government agency posted Oct. 16.

All of the recalled salads have the establishment number “EST. 13553” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection on their labels. Other information consumers can use to determine whether they have any of the salads is as follows:

• 
  

  11.2-oz. clear plastic clamshell packages containing “7-ELEVEN BISTRO SOUTHWEST STYLE SALAD WITH BACON” and best by date of “Tuesday 1016”

• 9.6-oz. clear plastic clamshell packages containing “7-ELEVEN BISTRO SOUTHWEST STYLE SALAD WITH BACON” and best by date of “Tuesday 1016”

“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators. 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,” according to the recall notice.

The FSIS reported no confirmed adverse reactions had been reported as of the posting of the recall notice. However, it can take 72 hours for symptoms of Salmonella infection to develop. Infection symptoms from Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can take up to 70 days after exposure to develop. Consequently, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled salads should monitor themselves for signs of foodborne illness in the coming days and weeks.

The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Otherwise healthy adults often recover without medical treatment. However, people in high-risk groups — which include children, the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with compromised immune systems — can develop serious infections and other complications that require hospitalization.

Listeriosis can cause all of the symptoms seen with Salmonella infections, plus fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Infections from Listeria monocytogenes are even more dangerous for people in high risk groups than Salmonella infections. 

Listeriosis is an invasive infection that can easily spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Serious and sometimes fatal infections develop in older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems. 

Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics, but proper diagnosis requires specific lab tests.

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.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Luis Aguilar, Prime Deli Corp. quality assurance manager, at 817-360-8483.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)