British grocery chain Waitrose recently announced a recall on its private label meat products because of a possible Listeria infection. The affected meats are sold under the label Cooks Ingredients and Essential.

The affected meats are Pulled Ham Hocks (sold under Cooks Ingredients) and Corned Beef (sold under Essential). The company emphasizes that not all of the meat products are affected by the recall; rather, only four date codes are being recalled for bacterial contamination.

For the Ham Hock products, the affected products have ‘use by’ dates of August 27, August 29, and August 31, 2011. For the corned beef products, the affected batch has a ‘use by’ date of September 2, 2011. The Ham Hock products have a net weight of 180 grams and the corned beef products have a net weight of 140 grams.

Waitrose has issued this recall for stockists and consumers who may have the affected products in their possession. Consumers who have bought the recalled meat products are strongly advised not to eat them and instead contact the retail store where the product was purchased.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most common bacterial contaminants and is the cause of a type of food poisoning known as Listeriosis. This infection most commonly affects pregnant women, adults with weakened immunities and newborn babies. The most common symptoms of Listeriosis include fever, nausea, muscle aches and diarrhea. Complications that may arise from this infection include stillbirths or miscarriages. No medical emergencies related to the recalled products have been reported.

Consumers who may have questions about the recall can contact Waitrose at 0800 188884 and they will be assisted by a customer service representative.