Deli Meat Recall 2010: Walmart Tainted Meats Sold Recalled – Following the nationwide egg recall, roast beef and ham is now being recalled. The roast beef and ham was to be distributed by shopping giant Wal-Mart delicatessens for use in sandwiches and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the meat contained a potentially harmful bacteria.
No illnesses have been reported from the 380,000 pounds of meat products that were made by Zemco Industries in Buffalo and may contain Listeria, agency spokesman Gary Mickelson said.
“It’s believed most of the affected products have already been consumed,” he said. The sandwiches have been removed from store shelves nonetheless.
Where the meat was sold was not being released by a spokeswoman for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation’s largest retailer. or how many stores nation wide had been selling the contaminated food products.
A retail sample collected in Georgia tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, Mickelson said.
The effects of the bacteria are quite severe for some, with the young, elderly and the frail having a possibility of dying as a cause of this bacteria.
The products being recalled were all labeled as Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches.
They included Black Forest Ham With Natural Juices Coated with Caramel Color; Hot Ham, Hard Salami, Pepperoni, Sandwich Peppers; Virginia Brand Ham With Natural Juices, Made in New York, Fully Cooked Bacon, Sandwich Pickles, Sandwich Peppers; and Angus Roast Beef Coated with Caramel Color.
The packages, bearing vendor number 398412808 and the USDA mark of inspection, were produced between June 18 and July 2, with “use by” dates between Aug. 20 and Sept. 10.
Zemco is a unit of Springdale, Ark., meat producer Tyson Foods Inc.