Hummus Food Recalls and Listeria

Food Recalls and Listeria

As part of my job as an Obstetrician I like to follow the news.

One thing that is frequently in the news is Food Recalls.

Not too uncommonly there will be news that the various Departments of Health will recall a particular type of food because there is some food-born illness lurking in that food. Sometimes companies will recall food on their own.

It is always something different.

Sometimes, the spinach farm is next to the pork farm, and there is heavy rain, and the pork "droppings" run into the spinach. So the spinach might be found to harbor E Coli bacteria.

Sometimes the barn that grows eggs is found to have bird droppings on the eggs, because the wrong kind of bird has flown into the barn. And those bird droppings carry bird borne infections. Egg farmers have been shut down for this.

A few years ago it was Melons. Before that it was brussel sprouts.

And recently a peanut butter company executive was charged with a crime because he didn't do enough to make sure the peanut butter was uninfected. I don't know the outcome of that trial.

Sometimes the recall is very specific. Like frozen food from a specific shift of a factory.

A few weeks ago a pregnant women informed me that she had a mild flu like illness. Then she informed me that she ate food that was subject to recall for listeria.

Listeria is dangerous to fetuses. It does unspeakable damage to them, or they die. I have seen these babies. Listeria hides because the maternal illness is very mild or nothing, but the fetal illness is extreme.

If we know of the exposure we can monitor and treat the mother and fetus with antibiotics. Ampicillin can  be effective, but it takes a high dose. So high a dose that the pharmacist calls to ask if I am sure. Ampicillin is very safe, and Listeria is very dangerous, so I will treat preventatively if possible.

Most of the time we don't know of the exposure. And the baby and family pays the price. It is rare, but it really does happen. And most Obs have seen the terrible end results.

The latest recall is from a popular brand of Hummus. It was found to contain Listeria.

Do a google search for Hummus Listeria Recall and you will find the brand. It is called Sabra.

Here is the CNN link:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/09/us/sabra-hummus-recall/index.html

Please, if you have Hummus in your fridge, check the recall and throw out the Hummus. It is just not worth it.

I have put a poster up in my office as this particular Hummus is really good and it is really popular around here. It is my favorite brand.

So watch the news for food recalls. Especially if you are pregnant.

Thank you very much.

Dr John Marcus
doctorjohnmarcus.blogspot.com

89 North Maple Ave
Ridgewood NJ 07481