A second infant has died as a result of ready-to-eat Chinese-style meat and poultry products infected with listeria. Back in November, Yu Shang Food Inc. recalled nearly 77,000 lbs. of the affected products, which were made at a Spartanburg, S.C., plant.
The Centers for Disease Control said listeria was found in two infants who died. In Tennessee, a mother and infant were infected and the child died in November. This month in California, a mother and twin babies were sick and both children died. However, only one of the babies and the mom were confirmed to have listeria, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A total of 19 cases have been reported, with 17 hospitalizations, in California, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Tennessee, according to CDC. At least seven of the cases were related to pregnancy.
Perhaps as a result, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Dec. 17 announced several steps to strengthen the agency’s oversight of food processing facilities it regulates, with particular emphases on listeria monocytogenes and plants that make ready-to-eat products.