NEW YORK: The recall of half a billion eggs and over 350,000 pounds of meat products has left many Americans worried over the health standards of the food industry. The United States Department of Agriculture on Monday announced Zemco Industries of Buffalo, New York, had recalled 380,000 pounds of deli meat that may contain potentially fatal bacteria. The products were distributed to Wal-Marts across the country, the USDA said on its website. The Listeria monocytogenes were discovered in a sample collected by inspectors in Georgia, but the USDA reported they had yet to receive any reports of illnesses associated with the meats. Wal-Mart has already warned its customers of the recall, saying in a statement that they had told its stores to remove the meat from the shelves and inform customers that they can return the tainted meat for a full refund. “Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease,” according to the USDA. “Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. “Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy,” the USDA said. The meat recall comes only days after a massive egg recall began. According to Margaret Hamburg of the US Food and Drug Administration in comments made on CNN, some 1,000 people have become ill with salmonella after federal regulators traced the tainted eggs back to two Iowa egg producers. Hillandale Farms of Iowa announced last Friday that it was calling back more than 170 million eggs. Another 380 million eggs have also been recalled by another Iowa producer, Wright County Egg, after the FDA linked the eggs to an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened hundreds of people nationwide. “We are devastated that our eggs have been implicated in making people sick,” Hillandale Farms, one of the largest U.S. producers, said in a statement issued Sunday. “We have never had a product recall in our 45-year history, and it flies in the face of our mission to provide wholesome, nutritious food for the American public. We regret that anyone might have become ill, and the concern and disruption this has caused our customers.” According to CNN the eggs were shipped to a total of 17 states across the country: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Despite the recalls, Hillandale Farms, suppliers and Wal-Mart have repeatedly said their food products are safe for consumers. Some nutritionists disagree, arguing there is an “inherent” problem with the large factory-farmed products in the market. Nicole Barry, a New York City-based independent dietitian told Bikya Masr on Tuesday that she believes people must look for alternatives for their food, especially if they are going to continue to consume meat and dairy products. “We have seen over the past few years a turn away from the factory-farm industry, but it hasn't been enough because we still see thousands of people getting ill each year,” she began, “so what needs to happen is one of two things. “First, people should look at how meat-eating continues to create a lot of problems in American health. Maybe we should turn away from meat consumption as a whole and this is what I tell my clients,” she added. But for many, meat-eating is something they don't want to give up, she says. “Therefore, I tell them that going to local farmers, even if it is more expensive is important because they are going to have more insurance over the quality of the products.” BM
