An outbreak of listeriosis has been linked back to people consuming deli meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, hospitalizing 57 people. Nine have died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to investigate this outbreak, and it, along with other agencies, will keep the public updated on any changes to the guidance. Nonetheless, concerned consumers may wonder what steps they should take.

“Food businesses generally work hard to grow, process, prepare, and serve safe food for you to consume. Many food businesses have teams of people focused on the food safety aspects to the products being prepared,” said Virginia Tech Associate Extension Specialist Lester Schonberger. 

“Unfortunately, outbreaks continue to happen for many reasons, and the related recalls have significant ripple effects,” he said. “If you have concerns food you purchased could be part of a recall, you should take the time to check. If it is, take whatever steps are outlined in the recall notice.” 

Schonberger provided tips that can apply to any incident involving potential food contamination.

Q: How can consumers find out if they have purchased or consumed the affected product?

  • “Always be aware of the foods you have in your home. When you see headlines on the news about a recalled food, and you buy something that has been recalled, it can be a good time to go into your fridge or pantry and double check whether you have it.”

  • “Sometimes you’ll receive a notice from your grocery store that a food you’ve purchased has been recalled. This is why it can be great to have a frequent shopper's card so stores can keep those records and contact you.”

  • “Keep receipts of the foods you’ve purchased so you can have a record to go back to. If you use a shopper's card or place orders for grocery pickup, sometimes there are electronic copies in your online account.”

  • “Recall notices will include identifying information about that food product – the brand name(s), lot code(s) or facility identification number(s) you can look for on that food package.”

Q: What should consumers do with any affected product they have on-hand?

“Always refer to the recall notice for those instructions. Often, those instructions tell someone to either throw it away or return it to the store. With some recalls, the notices will also let you know if you should clean and sanitize your fridge, pantry, and any containers that have come into contact with that food.”

Q: Why is listeria an issue in the food processing industry?

  • “Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium commonly found in soil, water, sewage, and decaying plant material. L. monocytogenes is a particularly hardy pathogen, capable of surviving in damp areas, and on stainless steel and glass within the food processing environment. Once established on the surface, it is difficult to eliminate and may often be the cause of post-process food contamination.”

  • “Like many bacteria, it can be easily killed using heat. It is unique among foodborne pathogens, however, because refrigeration does not prevent the growth of this organism. In fact, L. monocytogenes not only survives but can grow at refrigeration temperatures.”

Q: Until government authorities give an all clear, what are alternative choices to make for lunches, etc. that don’t involve lunch meat?

  • “You can choose other classic and sandwich choices, such as nut or seed butter and jelly or grilled cheese.” 

  • “Take this opportunity to branch out into something new. Salads, soups or vegetables with dip might become your new go-to lunch. Or take this as an opportunity to try making yourself some of the foods you would buy prepared, like roast beef or turkey breast.”

  • “Whatever you make, be sure to keep it stored properly until you can enjoy it at your lunch. Virginia Cooperative Extension has some recommendations in our Safe Brown Bag Lunches publication.” 

Q: What other steps would you recommend?

“While it would not have prevented the illnesses caused by this outbreak, we encourage the use of safe food handling practices at home, including thorough handwashing and preparing food on clean surfaces with clean utensils. Separate raw foods that require cooking from cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Cook foods to safe internal temperatures and refrigerate leftovers within two hours.” 

About Schonberger 
Lester Schonberger is an Associate Extension Specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech. He supports programs related to home food preservation, general consumer food handling, food service food handling, food donation, and produce safety, among other topics. He also coordinates the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Food Volunteer Program, which helps Extension reach more Virginians with up-to-date, research-based knowledge of food preparation, nutrition, food safety, and physical activity. His work centers on increasing everyone’s ability to access and prepare safe, quality food.  Read more about him here.

Schedule an interview      
To schedule an interview, contact Mike Allen in the media relations office at mike.allen@vt.edu or 540.400.1700. 

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