Lituanica UK recalls 'Samsono' ears and tongue roll
Wednesday 29 October 2008
The Agency has issued an updated Food Alert for Action about Ears and Tongue Roll from Lithuania, labelled with the 'Samsono' brand. This is a ready to eat pork product. Further investigations have revealed that the affected product has also been imported into the UK by Lituanica UK Ltd and distributed to 22 shops in England and one shop in Northern Ireland.
Lituanica UK Ltd has recalled all date codes of the 'Samsono' brand Ears and Tongue Roll because of contamination with high levels of Listeria monocytogenes. The levels of listeria that were detected are some of the highest seen by the Agency in a ready to eat food.
Listeria is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease. Pregnant women, people over 60 and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to listeria. If you have eaten this product and become unwell you should consult a doctor or contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
Product details
The affected products are:
- Ears and Tongue Roll, all sizes
Product brand: 'Samsono'
Best before: all best before dates
EC approval number: LT 84-07 EB
The product has been recalled from sale and Lituanica UK Ltd is displaying point-of-sale notices in all the stores they supply. These notices alert customers to the recall and advise them of what actions to take if they have bought the affected product.
The Agency advises people who have bought the product labelled 'Samsono Ears and Tongue Roll' not to eat any of it. The Agency is also contacting media in the UK that serves the Lithuanian community to alert them of this updated information.
Food alerts
If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). Food alerts are the FSA's way of letting local authorities and consumers know about problems associated with food and, in some cases, providing details of specific action to be taken. They are issued under two categories:
- Food Alerts: for Action
- Food Alerts: for Information
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