Listeria: What You Can Do
A nationwide outbreak of food poisoning caused by bacteria called listeria has claimed 15 lives. Those deaths are linked to hot dogs and deli meats sold in 17 states. Some potentially deadly products could still be in your refrigerator or freezer. CBS News Saturday Morning Consumer Correspondent Herb Weisbaum has an update, and advice on what you can do to protect your family.
In December, Bil Mar Foods, a part of Sara Lee, recalled hot dogs and deli meats produced at its plant in Zeeland, Michigan. The reason: the meat was tainted with listeria, the bacteria that sicken 1,800 Americans and kill more than 400 of them every year.
Food poisoning from contaminated meat is nothing new. Making sure the nation's slaughterhouses and packing plants are clean is one of the government's top food safety priorities.
But with raw meats, there is an added line of defense: you. Proper handling and thorough cooking at home virtually eliminate the chances you will get sick. That is not true for the sandwich meats you eat straight out of the refrigerator. Nor is it true for the raw hotdog you might sneak before dinner.
The overwhelming majority of processed meats are perfectly safe. Your chances of getting contaminated products are pretty low.
Beyond that, listeria bacteria do not harm most healthy people. You could consume it and not even know it. Or, at worst, you could simply have some flu-like symptoms.
Some people, however, are at greater risk. For seniors, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems, listeriosis can be fatal.
And the listeria bacteria are not limited to packaged meats. If you are in a high-risk category, here are some suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Always wash raw vegetables.
- Avoid soft cheeses such as brie, camembert, and blue-veined cheese.
- Cook leftovers and hot dogs before eating them. And heat deli meats until they are steaming hot. That way you will kill any bacteria that might be there.
For questions about food safety, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day.
By Herb Weisbaum
©1999 CBS Worldwide Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed