USDA Says Some Pork Products Recalled Over Listeria Risk

The USDA has published a Class I recall involving some pork products due to their potential contamination with Listeria. The frozen pork products covered by this recall were produced over a two-day period last month, though some recipients may still have the products in their freezers. As with other recalls involving Listeria, consumers are warned not to eat the pork.

The recall comes from the Nashville company Nick's Famous Bar-B-Q, which is recalling around 3,140lbs of its smoked barbeque pork products over the potential Listeria contamination. The products were sold under the label "Nick's FAMOUS Hickory Smoked Pork Bar-B-Q" with a Use-By date of September 2022.

According to the recall notice, this ready-to-eat pork was produced on September 7 – 8, 2021, and packaged on September 8. Buyers can identify the recalled barbeque pork by looking for the USDA Mark of Inspection — it features the number EST. 17863. Fortunately, the pork products weren't distributed to retail stores.

Instead, the pork was distributed to "institutions" in North Carolina, including some schools. The problem was discovered by the USDA's FSIS, according to the agency. There haven't been any reported issues resulting from the consumption of this product, the recall advisory notes.

Eating food that is contaminated with Listeria can lead to a potentially serious infection; certain people are at the greatest risk of developing a serious infection, including those who have compromised immune systems, the elderly, and pregnant women. Symptoms of the infection may include gastrointestinal issues, stiff neck, headache, fever, and muscle aches.