Listeria warning for ham salad items
USDA Issues Public Health Alert for Certain Ham Salads Due to Potential Listeria Contamination
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for two ham salad products due to a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The affected products are:
- Reser’s Fine Foods Ham Salad in 12-ounce plastic tubs with a sell-by date of September 1, 2025.
- Molly’s Kitchen Ham Salad in 5-pound plastic tubs with a sell-by date of August 31, 2025.
The contamination concern emerged after Reser’s Fine Foods in Topeka, Kansas, identified that breadcrumbs they used were part of an FDA recall for Listeria contamination. No confirmed illnesses have been reported to date.
FSIS urges anyone who may have consumed the recalled products and is experiencing flu-like symptoms to seek immediate medical attention and inform their healthcare provider about the potential exposure to contaminated food. Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, confusion, and convulsions. In pregnant individuals, listeriosis may result in miscarriages or stillbirths.
Consumers are advised not to eat these products and to discard or return them for a refund. Freezing does not kill Listeria, so frozen products should also be discarded. Retailers are also being told not to sell or serve the affected products.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause a serious infection called listeriosis. It is most dangerous to older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women.
FSIS will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if additional products are identified or new developments arise. To report food safety issues, visit the FSIS Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, available 24/7.
For food safety questions, consumers can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or email [email protected]. The FSIS advises that more products could be identified as further information becomes available.
[1] USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issues public health alert for certain Reser's and Molly's Kitchen ham salads
[2] FDA Recall: Newly Weds Foods, Inc. Recalls Breadcrumbs Due to Possible Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination
[3] Listeriosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
[4] Pregnancy and Listeria: What You Need to Know
[5] Listeria: Who is at Risk?
[1] In response to the potential Listeria contamination, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for Reser's Fine Foods Ham Salad and Molly’s Kitchen Ham Salad, particularly those with sell-by dates of September 1, 2025, and August 31, 2025, respectively.
[2] The contamination concern originated from breadcrumbs used in the ham salads, which were part of an FDA recall for Listeria contamination from Newly Weds Foods, Inc. Additionally, no confirmed illnesses have been reported to date.
