"deli meat" news and stories

Ever grab a prepackaged pile of cold cuts, only to be greeted with a less-than-appetizing film of slime?

Gourmet Boutique has issued a recall of 286,000 lbs of deli luncheon meat for possible contamination by listeria. The meats were used in sandwich wraps and other ready-to-eat products. The USDA has classified this recall as Class I, "reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death," or what I would call "pretty damn serious."

The list of potentially affected wraps and other ready-to-eat products from the company are listed here.

[via: Consumerist]

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Whether you are hosting the game for a crowd or just having a few people over to your house, platters of meat and cheese always go over well. You can serve them with crackers, or even set out buns with condiments so your guests can make their own sandwiches, but I find most people just like to pick away at the plates as they are.

Most grocery stores sell pre-made meat or cheese deli platters, but you can expect to pay exorbitant prices for the convenience. With a couple of easy tricks, you can make your own which will look professionally done, yet will save you some money in the end.

If you are making a meat tray, buy the deli meat at the last possible moment for maximum freshness. Once deli meat has been sliced or shaved, it is more apt to spoil so you want to work quickly and get it back in the fridge as soon as possible.

The FDA has just approved the a mixture of viruses, bacteriophages, to be used to kill bacteria commonly found in foods, marking the first time that a virus has been approved as a food additive. The mixture contains strains of six different bacteriophages designed to fight Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria that cause listeriosis, a disease which sickens about 2,500 people per year and kills 500. Listeriosis primarily affects pregnant women, women who have just given birth and infants, in addition to other people who have weakened immune systems for one reason or another. The bacteria is found mostly in packaged, processed meat products, so the additive will be used on cold cuts, various sausages and other "ready to eat" meat products.

The FDA imposed its strictest standards to scrutiny to this additive, developed by a company called Intralytix, and is confident that the bacteriophages are safe. The Department of Agriculture will regulate and supervise the use of the additive. A spokesman for the Office of Food Additive Safety at the FDA says that " consumers will not be aware which meat and poultry products have been treated with the spray."

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7-Eleven stores are releasing a new sandwich this week - the P'EatZZa sandwich. This crazy hybrid is a cross between pizza and a deli sandwich. The sandwiches, which come in two flavors with a third to be released in May, are flat breads stuffed with deli meats and other fillings and topped with a combination of baked-in pizza sauce and cheese. They are served as pie wedges that can be eaten with a fork and knife or by hand, but the driving force behind the concept is that is is pizza (with extra meats) that is not meant to be served hot. No need for heat means that customers can be in and out quicker and the sandwiches are easier to store. The flavors are turkey and pepperoni on pepperoni flat-bread with parmesan ranch spread and romaine lettuce; and ham and salami on a cheddar flat-bread with red and yellow peppers, oil and vinegar dressing and romaine lettuce. They are $3.69 each.

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