Carolina Pride Foods Ham Recall Lawsuit

Consumer Alert: Carolina Foods Inc. is currently recalling nearly 20,000 pounds of cooked ham products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled ham was distributed throughout the Southeastern U.S. to retailers and for institutional use. Consumers are being advised to discard all products included in this recall and report any symptoms of food poisoning to a doctor immediately.

Free Carolina Pride Foods Ham Recall Case Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been severely sickened after consuming Carolina Pride ham products included in this recall, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

What’s the problem?

July 5, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced that Carolina Foods Inc., of Greenwood S.C., is now recalling the following boneless, fully cooked ham products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes:

• "10-ounce vacuum packages of "CAROLINA PRIDE Smoked Diced Ham" with the sell-by date of Sept. 23, 2011, stamped on the package. The packages also bear "EST. 242" inside the USDA mark of inspection and were sent to retail locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The label on 10-pound cases of this product would be stamped "4218."
• "10-pound cases containing five, 2-pound vacuum packages of "CAROLINA PRIDE Diced Ham." The label on cases of this product would be stamped "3804" and shipped to locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
• "12-pound cases containing 8-ounce vacuum packages of "HARDEE's Smoked Diced Ham" with the user through the date of Nov. 9, 2011, stamped on the package. The shipping label on cases of this product would be stamped "4181" and shipped to locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

All of these products were produced on May 13, 2011, and subsequently distributed throughout the southeastern U.S. to retail outlets or for institutional use. The contamination issue was discovered through independent microbiological sampling contracted by Carolina Pride Foods. To date, there have been no illnesses reported in connection with the recalled ham products.

Related Article: Listeria Outbreak Lawsuit Update

Listeria Food Poisoning (Listeriosis)

Listeriosis is a rare but serious infection caused by consuming food products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The disease typically affects infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with otherwise compromised immune systems. However, certain individuals without these risk factors can also be affected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 200,000 Americans contract foodborne illnesses like listeriosis each and every day and that four out of five cases come from home cooking. Signs and symptoms of listeriosis may include:

• fever
• muscle aches
• nausea
• diarrhea
• headache
• stiff neck
• confusion
• loss of balance
• convulsions

Unlike many other types of bacteria, Listeria’s growth is not inhibited by placing it in the refrigerator. Check regularly to ensure correct temperatures are maintained - proper temperatures in a refrigerator should be at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and freezers should be set at zero degrees or lower.

Be sure to cook raw foods to a safe internal temperature (beef – 145°F, pork – 160°F, poultry – 165 °F), and always make sure to wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food products.

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Do I have a Carolina Pride Foods Ham Recall Lawsuit?

The Food Poisoning Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Carolina Pride Foods ham recalls lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new listeria food poisoning cases in all 50 states.