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Armour Lunch Makers Meals Recalled Due To Possible Listeria Contamination

Contact: Lori Maldonado
Public Information Specialist
Office: (303) 692-2028
Cell: (303) 921-8598

DENVER –The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Tuesday urged individuals, who may have purchased Armour Brand Turkey, Ham, Bologna and Chicken Lunch Makers Meals at any Safeway, Albertsons or Walgreens locations in Colorado, to check the packages for specific code information because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

Any consumers who have any of the meals are urged not to consume them and to discard or return them to the place of purchase.

The recalled lunch meals, which were produced between October 13 and December 3, 2005, were distributed nationwide and have the following code information on their packaging:

• 2.6-ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers®, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Cooked Ham, Contains a Nestle® Crunch® Bar.” Each package bears the establishment number “Est. 1059” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660003427” and the sell by date, “JAN 01, 2006,” “JAN 06, 2006,” “JAN 08, 2006,” “JAN 12, 2006,” “JAN 19, 2006,” “JAN 20, 2006,” “JAN 21, 2006,” “JAN 22, 2006,” “JAN 23, 2006,” “JAN 26, 2006,” “JAN 27, 2006,” “JAN 30, 2006,” “FEB 02, 2006,” “FEB 03, 2006,” “FEB 04, 2006,” “FEB 05, 2006,” “FEB 06, 2006,” “FEB 07, 2006,” “FEB 08, 2006, “FEB 09, 2006,” “FEB 10, 2006,” “FEB 11, 2006” or “FEB 20, 2006.

• 2.6-ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers®, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Bologna, Contains a Nestle® Butterfinger® Bar.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-9” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660003384” and the sell by date, “JAN 07, 2006,” “JAN 12, 2006,” “JAN 13, 2006,” “JAN 19, 2006,” “JAN 20, 2006,” “JAN 30, 2006,” “FEB 04, 2006,” “FEB 05, 2006,” “FEB, 07, 2006,” “FEB 16, 2006” or “FEB 17, 2006.”

• 2.6-ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers®, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Turkey, Contains a Nestle® Butterfinger® Bar.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-9” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660003428” and the sell by date, “JAN 01, 2006,” “JAN 07, 2006,” “JAN 09,2006,” “JAN 13, 2006,” “JAN 21, 2006,” “JAN 22, 2006,” “JAN 26,2006,” “FEB 02, 2006,” “FEB 03, 2006,” “FEB 04, 2006,” “FEB 05, 2006,” “FEB 06, 2006, “FEB 08, 2006,” “FEB 09, 2006,” “FEB 10, 2006,” “FEB 16, 2006,” “FEB, 17, 2006,” “FEB 18, 2006,” “FEB 19, 2006” or “FEB 20, 2006.”

• 2.6-ounce and 8-fluid ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers® Bologna Fun Kit, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Bologna.” The package also contains a Nestle® Crunch® Bar and Hawaiian Punch® fruit drink. Each package bears the establishment number “P-9” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660002263” and the sell by date, “JAN 1, 2006,” “JAN 22, 2006,” “JAN 26, 2006,” “FEB 04, 2006,” “FEB 11, 2006” or “FEB 17, 2006.”

• 2.6-ounce and 8-fluid ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers® Ham Fun Kit, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Cooked Ham.” The package also contains a Nestle® Butterfinger® Bar and Hawaiian Punch® fruit drink. Each package bears the establishment number “Est. 1059” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660002262” and the sell by date, “JAN 12, 2006,” “JAN 13, 2006” “JAN 16, 2006,” “JAN 19, 2006,” “JAN 23, 2006,” “JAN 27, 2006,” “JAN 28, 2006,” “FEB 10, 2006,” “FEB 11, 2006,” “FEB 18, 2006” or “FEB 19, 2006.”

• 2.6-ounce and 8-fluid ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers® Turkey Fun Kit, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Turkey.” The package also contains a Nestle® Crunch® Bar and Hawaiian Punch® fruit drink. Each package bears the establishment number “P-9” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660002261” and the sell by date, “JAN 07, 2006,” “JAN 12, 2006,” “JAN 16, 2006,” “JAN 21, 2006,” “JAN 22, 2006,” “JAN 23, 2006,” “JAN 27, 2006,” “JAN 28, 2006,” “FEB 04, 2006,” “FEB 10, 2006,” “FEB 16, 2006” or “FEB 17, 2006.”

• 2.6-ounce packages of “ARMOUR, Lunch Makers®, CRACKER CRUNCHERS, Chicken, Contains a Nestle® Crunch® Bar.” Each package bears the establishment number “P-9” inside the U.S.D.A. seal of inspection, the product code “4660003383” and the sell by date, “JAN 01, 2006,” “JAN 02, 2006,” “JAN 09, 20006,” JAN 16, 2006,” “JAN 23, 2006,” “JAN 30, 2006,” “FEB 06, 2006,” “FEB 07, 2006,” “FEB 16, 2006,” “FEB 17, 2006,” “FEB 18, 2006,” “FEB 19, 2006,” “FEB 20, 2006” or “FEB 21, 2006.”

Susan Parachini, the wholesale food program manager for the Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer Protection Division, explained that the Lunch Maker Meals are part of an expanded recall released by the manufacturer, ConAgra Foods of Marshall, Missouri, on December 10. The company initially recalled 9,550 pounds of the product on December 1, 2005. However, product distribution at that time did not include Colorado retail locations.

The expansion resulted from the company’s internal investigation to identify the root cause of the December 1 voluntary recall.

Parachini said, “The expansion of the recall to the current 2.8 million pounds does include distribution to retail locations in Colorado and nationwide.

“There have been no reported cases of illness in Colorado or nationwide associated with the Lunch Maker Meals recalled by the Missouri-based company,” she explained.

Listeria, a food-borne bacteria, can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea, according to Parachini.

“Persons, who consumed the meals from any of the Colorado retail locations and are experiencing illness, should contact their health care providers immediately,” urged Parachini.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in healthy individuals and fatal infections in persons with weak immune systems, Parachini explained. Such persons include infants, the frail or elderly and persons with chronic diseases that affect their immune systems, including those with HIV infections and persons who are undergoing chemotherapy.

For more information, the public may call the Consumer Protection Division at
(303) 692-3620.