WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Wal-Mart has recalled over 10 tons of frozen pizzas in 11 U.S. states because of possible listeria fears, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA announced Wednesday about the recalls, which covered states including Washington, California, Hawaii, Colorado, Nevada and so on.
According to the USDA, the retailer RBR Meat Company discovered the possible listeria contamination during routine sampling, and then started removing the products from shelves and recalled the tainted frozen pizzas.
Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating contaminated food and can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women and older people. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and sometimes diarrhea or other problems, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About 1,600 listeriosis contracting cases are reported in the United States every year, with 260 resulting in death, based on statistics of the CDC.