Listeria concerns prompt meat recall

A food company here is recalling more than 286,000 pounds of meat and poultry because it might be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

The voluntary recall includes several brands of fresh and frozen products made by Gourmet Boutique, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday.

Included are some types of chicken salad and sandwiches sold under the name Gourmet Boutique and several frozen wraps and burritos sold under the names Jan’s and Archer Farms.

The problem was discovered through sampling by federal food safety inspectors and Florida agriculture officials, the USDA said.

There have been no reports of illness associated with the recalled foods so far, but the bacteria can potentially cause listeriosis, an infection marked by high fever, headache and nausea.

It could be fatal in people with depressed immune systems.

Gourmet Boutique said in a recorded phone message that it had made “environmental changes” at its plants to prevent a repeat of the problem.