The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a public health alert saying Bluegrass Provisions Co. of Crescent Springs, Kentucky, produced sausage products that may be contaminated with a disease-causing bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service did not request a recall because it is believed that the products are no longer on the market and are past their use or freeze-by dates, it said in a press release.

But the USDA is concerned that some of the products may be in people’s freezers. Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems and pregnant women and their newborns.

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The ready-to-eat smoked sausage products were produced on April 22 and shipped to distributors and retail locations in Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia.

They are in 14-ounce plastic packages containing six pieces of:

• “BLUE GRASS METTWURST,” with a use or freeze-by date of July 23, 2020.
• “WALNUT CREEK FOODS Smoked Sausage,” with a use or freeze-by date of July 23, 2020.
• Lidl “SMOKED BRATWURST,” with a use or freeze-by date of July 23, 2020.
• Lidl “SMOKED BRATWURST WITH CHEESE,” with a use or freeze-by date of July 23, 2020.

The sausage products have an establishment number “EST. 7417” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The problem was discovered by routine testing and the results showed one of the products was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The other products may be affected by cross-contamination.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff necks, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

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