Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin announced Monday that Georgia Department of Agriculture food scientists have found Listeria monocytogenes in a package of Kroger Smoked Salmon Dip.  

The contamination was found in a 7.5-ounce (212 g) package marked USE BY 04 NOV 2007A LN3 10:48.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease. The most common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms of high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.  

Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections to infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems such as persons with chronic diseases or taking chemotherapy for cancer.

The contamination was found as part of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s routine food sampling program.

“We have notified Kroger about our lab findings,” said Irvin. “Sampling on a regular basis with a scientific protocol is a very important part of our food safety program.”