Albertsons & VONS Recall Store Deli Pasta Salads Over Possible Listeria Contamination

Albertsons Companies today announced a recall on
select store-made deli items containing bowtie pasta for possible listeria
monocytogenes contamination.
   Five store-made deli items that contain the bowtie pasta manufactured
by Nate's Fine Foods of Roseville California where recalled including Basil
Pesto Bowtie  Pasta Salad, Grilled Chicken and Basil Pasta, Ready Meals Basil
Pesto Bowtie Salad and  Randalls Basil Pesto Bowtie Pasta Salad with sell thru
dates of Sept. 8 to Sept. 26 and Sept. 11 thru Sept. 29.
   The recall was initiated by Fresh Creative Foods, a division of
Reser's Fine Foods and supplier of the bowtie pasta.
   ``Consumers who have purchased these items are urged not to consume
these products and to dispose of them or return the items to their local store
for a full refund. The FDA recommends in these cases that anyone who purchased
or received any recalled products to use extra vigilance in cleaning and
sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these
products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination,'' Albertsons officials
announced.

The select store-made deli items were available for purchase at the
following stores:
   -- Albertsons
   -- Albertsons Market
   -- Amigos
   -- Andronico's Community Markets
   -- Carrs-Safeway
   -- Eagle
   -- Pak 'N Save
   -- Pavilions
   -- Market Street
   -- Randalls
   -- Safeway
   -- Tom Thumb
   -- Vons

Consumers with questions should contact Albertsons Companies' Customer
Service Center at 1-877-723-3929 Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9
p.m. PST.
   Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and
sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and
others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer
only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness,
nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages
and stillbirths among pregnant women. The bacteria can survive in refrigerated
temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.