RETAILERS GRAPPLE WITH THIRD NATIONWIDE HOT DOG RECALL

ROBERT VOSBURGH

WASHINGTON -- The mystery surrounding the nationwide recalls of hot dogs and luncheon meat continues to deepen with a third national-brand manufacturer issuing warnings to retailers and consumers about the possibility of Listeria-contaminated product.

This latest recall affects more than 50 hot dog and luncheon meat products manufactured by Thorn Apple Valley, Southfield, Mich. All the items bear the Establishment Numbers 13529 or P-13529, and were made at the company's Forrest City, Ark., plant.

"We estimate that all that's probably left in consumers' hands might be a million pounds of product," said Joel Dorfman, president of Thorn Apple Valley.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended operations at the facility in December based on "noncompliance with pre-operational and operational sanitation requirements," according to an FSIS statement. No illnesses have been reported.

To date, there is no confirmed link between this case and the fatal outbreak of listeriosis, which has killed at least 11 people, according to officials. That case, involving Chicago-based Sara Lee, remains under investigation (see Sara Lee Case Shows Importance of Crisis Plans, SN, Jan. 25, 1999).

And, Oscar Mayer Foods Corp., Madison, Wis., is voluntarily recalling more than 28,000 pounds of deli meats sold in variety packs, bearing the Establishment Numbers 537A or P-1449.