Bil Mar Foods Voluntarily Recalls Hot Dogs and Other Packaged Meats

Bil Mar Foods (Zeeland, MI) has announced that it is voluntarily recalling specific production lots of hot dogs and other packaged meat products that could contain Listeria bacteria. These affected products are produced only at the company's plant in Zeeland, Michigan and are sold through retail grocery stores and selected foodservice channels in the United States.

The only affected products are those labeled with Establishment Numbers P261 (for poultry) or 6911 (for non-poultry) for the Ball Park, Bil Mar, Bryan Bunsize and Bryan 3-lb Club Pack hot dogs, Grillmaster, Hygrade, Mr. Turkey, Sara Lee Deli Meat and Sara Lee Home Roast brands.

This action follows the company's discussions with the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has indicated that it is studying whether some of these products might contain the Listeria bacteria.

The Listeria bacteria is normally found in soil, water and a variety of raw foods such as uncooked meats and vegetables. When ingested, some strains of Listeria can cause listeriosis, which affects primarily the elderly, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems.

Listeria bacteria can be eliminated from food by proper cooking. For example, placing a hot dog in boiling water, or re-heating deli meat to a product temperature of 165° F, destroys Listeria.

Bil Mar Foods is a division of Sara Lee Corporation. Sara Lee anticipates taking a pre-tax charge of $50 million to $70 million in the second quarter, ending Dec. 26, 1998 to cover the anticipated cost of the product recall.