Listeria Outbreaks

Recommendations from the CDC

We will explore Listeria in depth with our next issue. But because of the recent outbreaks, we wanted you to become aware of the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Listeria can cause pregnant women to have miscarriages and stillbirths. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are also at higher risk; it can be life-threatening for them.

The CDC recommends the following measures for the above persons:

• Do not eat hot dogs and luncheon meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
• Avoid cross-contaminating other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces with fluid from hot dog packages, and wash hands after handling hot dogs.
• Do not eat soft cheeses such as Feta, Brie and Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as “queso blanco fresco.”
• Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads.
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.
• Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.

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