010440 Japan Recalls U.S. Meat on Listeria ScareApril 22, 2001Tokyo - Japan's Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry has recalled US processed meat products that might be contaminated with Listeria following a US firm's recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Japan has imported 1,224,308 kilograms of the US products, mainly sausages, through two domestic companies since January last year, the ministry said late on Friday.Japan also imposed a ban on further imports of the products, the ministry said. The US Department of Agriculture said Phoenix-based Bar-S Foods Co had voluntarily recalled about 14.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products produced its Clinton, Oklahoma, plant that might be contaminated with Listeria. The items were distributed to stores in the United States and shipped to Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the South Pacific under the brand names Bar-S, Bar-S Extra Lean, Coronado, Chuck Wagon, E-Z Carve and Thrifty, the department said. The products subject to recall include luncheon meats, whole hams, sausages, hot dogs, and corn dogs, according to the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recalled products carry the code “EST 471” or “EST P-471” inside the USDA seal of inspection and were produced prior to March 30, 2001, the Agriculture Department said.Eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria could cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. The bacteria cause such symptoms as high fever, headaches, neck stiffness and nausea. Bar-S said there had been no reports of illnesses linked to any of the recalled products.
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