Meat recalled for listeria

WASHINGTON – A Massachusetts company is recalling 9,230 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products because they may be contaminated with listeria, the Agriculture Department said Friday.

Kayem Foods Inc. of Chelsea, Mass., sold the chicken, sausage, salami and ham products to stores in Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, the department said.

The products were packaged Sept. 3, 2003. The recalled meats are marked with the establishment number “7839” or “P-7839” inside the USDA inspection seal.

The Agriculture Department said its meat inspectors discovered the listeria through routine testing. So far, no illnesses have been reported.

Listeria can cause food poisoning. Young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are most vulnerable to it. It can cause stillbirths in pregnant women.

Consumers with questions about the recall should call Matt Monkiewicz, a Kayem Foods official, at (617) 889-1600, Ext. 245.