Listeria contamination leads to recall of 20,000 pounds of frozen pizza

SEATTLE, Wash. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that RBR Meat Company, Inc., based in Vernon, Calif. is recalling more than 21,000 pounds of frozen pizzas due to possible listeria contamination.

The recalled frozen pizzas were sold at select Walmart stores in boxes labeled as “Marketside Extra Large Supreme Pizza” with lot code 20547.

Each box was 50.6-oz. with one shrink wrapped 16” pizza inside, and were shipped to distribution centers in California, Nevada, Utah and Washington.

FSIS discovered the problem during routine sampling, and urges customers who have purchased the pizzas to either throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.

Listeriosis is a serious infection that is typically caused by the consumption of  contaminated food, and is particularly dangerous for older people and pregnant women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists symptoms as muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea.

The CDC says around 1,600 cases are reported in the United States each year with 260 resulting in death.

Cox Media Group