Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Premo and Fresh Grab Ham and cheese wedge sandwiches recall: Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 7+ years ago

Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes

Premo and Fresh Grab Dairy — recalled dairyPremo and Fresh Grab Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 2)
2 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

What the notice says: Listeria monocytogenes is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
October 7, 2019
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Premo and Fresh Grab
Product type
Dairy
Distribution
Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia
UPC codes
612510002001
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported to date in relation to this recall.

Products covered by this recall

Ham and cheese wedge sandwiches

What the company announced

Lipari Foods has issued a voluntary recall of Premo Ham & Cheese Wedge Sandwiches and Fresh Grab Ham & Cheese Wedge Sandwiches due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes . Listeria monocytogenes is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals 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 women.

The product was distributed exclusively by Lipari Foods in Warren, Michigan to food service and retail stores throughout Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The affected product can be identified by:

  • Brand: Premo · Product: Wedge Ham & Cheese On Wheat · Lipari #: 915509 · Pack / Size: 4 / 5 oz. · Best By Date: 10/17/19 · Lot #: 24201909 · UPC: 612510002001
  • Brand: Fresh Grab · Product: Wedge Ham & Cheese On Wheat · Lipari #: 252646 · Pack / Size: 56 / 5 oz. · Best By Date: 10/17/19 · Lot #: 24201909 · UPC: 612510002001

Lipari Foods is expanding its recall from 10/2/19 to include one lot of Ham & Cheese Wedge Sandwiches produced by JLM Manufacturing due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes . The potential for contamination of this particular lot was brought to our attention during an FDA investigation of the previous recall. No illnesses have been reported to date in relation to this recall.

Lipari Foods began shipping this product on September 25, 2019.

Consumers who have purchased these recalled products should not consume them. Consumers should discard the products or return them to the point of purchase. Consumers with questions should call Customer Service at 586-563-2437, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm, EST, Monday through Friday.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 5 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 612510002001

Lot or batch code

Usually ink-stamped near the seam, the cap or the bottom of the pack.

  • 24201909

Best-by / use-by date

Printed beside the lot code, not on the price sticker.

  • 10/17/19

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • September 25, 2019

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 5 oz

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Premo and Fresh Grab — Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. If anyone in the household is pregnant, over 65 or immunocompromised, call a clinician for advice even if nobody feels ill. That conversation is quick and it is the whole point of a Listeria recall.
  3. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.
  4. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.

Refunds, and what else you can claim

The purchase price is the floor, not the ceiling. Where a recall caused you a real cost, say so.

  • Claim the refund at the store first; it is the fastest route and needs the least paperwork.
  • If you bought several packs over time, list them. Firms routinely settle for more than a single unit when a customer asks.
  • Medical costs, lost earnings or a spoiled event are not handled at the service desk. Write to the company contact on this page instead, with dates and documents.
  • Keep copies of everything you send. If a recall caused harm, that file is what any later claim rests on.

Remedy named in the notice: Consumers should discard the products or return them to the point of purchase.

Company contact: Lipari Foods — Consumers: Customer Service, 586-563-2437 — Media: Michelle Berger, 586.447.3500 ext. 9619, [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Premo and Fresh Grab dairy recalled?

Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes Listeria monocytogenes is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 612510002001; lot code 24201909; best-by date 10/17/19; model number September 25, 2019. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Consumers should discard the products or return them to the point of purchase.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and others.

Related recalls