Clinton County butcher 'voluntarily' recalls meat due to bacteria found by inspectors

Sep. 26—Behrmann Meat & Processing in Albers is recalling more than 87,000 pounds of "ready-to-eat" packaged meat products that could be contaminated with a bacteria.

That's according to an announcement made Saturday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture'sFood Safety and Inspection Service.

"The problem was discovered through product and environmental testing performed by FSIS and the establishment, which identified Listeria monocytogenes in the processing environment and in products produced by the establishment," the announcement stated.

"There have been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider."

Behrmann is a popular Clinton County butcher shop that has been processing local pork and beef, as well as wild game, since 1968. It's owned by Clifford Behrmann, son of co-founder Dennis Behrmann.

The FSIS announcement lists more than 60 meat products subject to the recall, including pulled pork, wieners, ham, beef brisket, Braunswchweiger, bologna, summer sausage, bratwurst, smoked pork steaks, head cheese and Canadian-style bacon.

Testing only found the bacteria in liver sausage, according to Behrmann's manager, Connie Haselhorst.

"Because of the sequence testing that they did — it's called whole-genome sequencing — they asked us to do a voluntary recall of all the product," she said Monday. "We're doing it as a precautionary measure. We want to make sure we're doing everything we can to keep the consumer safe.

"We've all eaten the product. We eat the project all the time, and some of us have gained a little weight doing so over the years. No one that we know of has gotten sick from anything."

The Behrmann meat products subject to the recall were produced between July 7 and Sept. 9 of this year, according to the FSIS announcement. A complete list can be found on its website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

The recalled products show establishment number "20917" inside the USDA mark of inspection on packages. They were shipped to retail stores and wholesale distributors in Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the consumption of food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes can cause an infection known as "listeriosis."

"An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die," according to the agency's website. "The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems."

Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. People in high-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food are encouraged to seek medical care.

"FSIS is concerned that some (recalled Behrmann products) may be in consumers' pantries, refrigerators, or freezers," the announcement states. "Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."

Behrmann has temporarily stopped producing ready-to-eat packaged meat products, but the butcher shop is open and selling fresh cuts from its counter, according to Haselhorst.

"We have to jump through a couple more hoops and make sure the government is happy, then we'll be back on track," she said.

This story was originally published September 26, 20222:39 PM.

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