Read This If You Just Bought Deli Meat From The Grocery Store
Deli meat, cold cuts, lunch meat, call it what you will – if you've recently bought any from a deli counter or grocery store, it's possible your purchase was contaminated with Listeria (per Delish). According to an alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control on Friday, October 23, 10 people from Florida, Massachusetts, and New York have recently been infected by a Listeria outbreak. All 10 people were hospitalized and one has passed away.
Nine of the ill individuals were interviewed and all said they'd consumed some form of Italian deli meat like salami, mortadella, and prosciutto. The CDC has yet to identify which manufacturer(s) or stores the meat has come from. That said, if you are at high risk for Listeria, the organization recommends not eating deli meats unless they are cooked thoroughly. That means the internal temperature needs to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or the meat needs to be heated "until steaming hot just before serving." High-risk individuals include anyone who is 65 or older, has a weakened immune system, or is currently pregnant. Even if you are not at high risk, there are some precautions you can take.
Steps you can take to avoid getting sick
Aside from heating deli meat to a safe temperature (or avoiding it altogether), there are some additional preventative measures that may help prevent sickness. Because Listeria can survive in the refrigerator, the CDC recommends cleaning refrigerator shelves that have come in contact with cold cuts. The same goes for any other kitchen surfaces that deli meat may have touched, including areas where juices may have spilled. They also suggest washing your hands after handling any deli meat. In general, opened packages or meat sliced fresh at the deli counter should be refrigerated and consumed within five days; unopened packages can be refrigerated for two weeks.
If you consumed deli meat recently and feel ill, contact your healthcare provider asap. Symptoms of Listeria vary but include muscle aches, stiff neck, headache, fever, confusion, convulsions, and lack of balance. Pregnant women typically only experience flu-like symptoms like fatigue, muscle aches, and fever. But, Listeria infections during pregnancy can result in complications and can be life-threatening to the baby. For someone who has been infected, symptoms usually appear within one to four weeks of eating contaminated food but could surface as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after exposure.