Contaminated “Roller Sandwiches” Recalled from Roche Bros.’ Shelves

By Alice Carver
14:30, August 7th 2008
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Contaminated “Roller Sandwiches” Recalled from Roche Bros.’ Shelves

The season of mosquito and salmonella outbreaks continues with other food-born outbreaks. The “roller sandwiches” made by World Class Canapes of Wilmington and sold by 18 Roche Bros. and Sudbury Farms stores were recalled because they could contain the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause flu-like symptoms or turn fatal in some cases, the state Department Public Health said.

The Wilmington company DBC Inc., also known as World Class Canapes Inc., manufactured the roller sandwiches which were sold at 15 Roche Bros. stores and three Sudbury Farms locations. The products are called “Progressive Gourmet Buffalo Chicken Roller Sandwich,” “Progressive Gourmet Chicken Caesar Roller Sandwich,” or “Progressive Gourmet Honey Turkey with Baby Spinach Roller Sandwich.”

Consumers may have purchased the products between July 31 and August 2, according to the officials.

Paul McGillivray, vice president of sales for Roche Bros., advised consumers to make sure they don’t have the products. State health officials are also warning consumers to throw away these products sold in Eastern Massachusetts because they could contain the bacterium. The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service discovered the contamination through microbiological sampling.

The Gram-positive bacteria can cause the infection listeriosis. Some studies suggest that 1-10% of humans may be intestinal carriers of L. monocytogenes. The bacteria can be killed by pasteurization, cooking and thorough washing. Most L. monocytogenes are pathogenic to some degree and they resist the deleterious effects of freezing, drying.

The manifestations of listeriosis include septicemia, meningitis (or meningoencephalitis), encephalitis, and intrauterine or cervical infections in pregnant women, which may result in spontaneous abortion, according to the FDA. Listeriosis symptoms also include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues. Listeriosis does not cause an illness in most healthy people, according to the health department. Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely to get the illness than other healthy adults. Among those more exposed to the infection are elderly, pregnant women, babies and people with weak immune system.

The state health department is trying to determine the source of the contamination.

There have been no reported cases of people getting sick, health department officials said.

About 500 Americans die of the disease annually. Last year, two elderly Massachusetts men died as the result of a severe infection with Listeria, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The recall comes days after health officials found beef tainted with E. Coli bacterium at a Boy Scout Camp in Rockbridge County. Scout officials pulled ground beef, which is a common source for E. coli, from the camp menu on July 28 and imposed sanitary precautions.

The bacteria has been associated with such foods as raw milk, cheese (particularly soft-ripened varieties), ice cream, raw vegetables, all types of raw meats, raw and cooked poultry and raw and smoked fish. The bacteria have the ability to grow at temperatures as low as 3°C, which permits multiplication in refrigerated foods.

L. monocytogenes outbreaks include the California episode in 1985, when Mexican-style cheese was blamed for the outbreak which led to numerous stillbirths.



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