More than 7 million pounds of Boars Head deli meat and 16 products from Walmart and Aldi have been recalled because of listeria.
At least 30 people have been hospitalized, and two people have died from eating the bad produce, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Connecticut Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said there haven’t been any cases of listeriosis, the illness caused by listeria, reported in the state.
“Having said that, you could have mild symptoms like a low-grade fever or some diarrhea that passes on its own, so we don't know for sure that someone may not have had an infection, it just was not severe enough that somebody actually sought out medical care,” Juthani said at a press conference on Monday.
Juthani said consumers should still be diligent about preparing food, cooking meat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and cleaning surfaces thoroughly.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the federal government is partly to blame for the outbreak.
Blumenthal wants to create a Federal Food Administration to handle food safety. The country doesn't have an agency that focuses only on food safety, and he said issues can be bounced around between more than 15 agencies.
“There is no central point of command when it comes to food safety and there needs to be, not just because reaction and recall need to be quicker and more effective, but also because we need to do more on prevention,” Blumenthal said.
For information about food recalls in the state, Juthani recommends visiting the Health Department's website.
