Ham, pepperoni recall expands — and it affects California, too. Here’s what to know

Alexander & Hornung expanded its nationwide recall of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products from 234,391 pounds to more than 2 million pounds, and the California health department has been warning consumers.

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall is due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The company notified FSIS after reporting positive Listeria monocytogenes results from product sampling.

The recall was expanded on Dec. 11.

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen that can cause listeriosis, a food-borne illness. It primarily affects older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns, FSIS said in the recall notice.

“Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms,” FSIS said. “Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.”

Alexander & Hornung said in an announcement that there haven’t been any illnesses or complaints regarding the recalled food products. The company also said there is “no conclusive evidence that the products were contaminated at the time of shipment” and it is issuing the voluntary recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

The pork products that were recalled include the “Five Star Brand Pepperoni” with a sell-by date of Mar. 19, 2022, and “Alexander & Hornung Super Trim BoneIn Ham Steak” with a sell-by date of Feb. 22, 2022.

You can find the full list of products online. You can also identify specific packaging labels included in the recall here.

If you have any questions about the recall, you can call the company’s customer service line at 1-866-3703.

If you recently purchased the recalled products, you may be eligible for a refund. For more guidance and on how to report adverse reactions from recalled food, read our article on what to do if you have recalled food at home.

This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 3:05 PM.