Charlotte company expands recall of Ruth’s pimento spreads

B & H Foods of Charlotte has expanded its recall of Ruth’s pimento spreads to include more products that were packed at its plant in Chester, S.C.

The company launched the initial recall on Feb. 2 after a routine sample collected at a retailer by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause life-threatening illness.

No illnesses have been reported, and the company expanded the recall as a precaution, the state agency said Thursday. No suspected source of the Listeria has been announced.

The products were distributed at supermarkets in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Consumers who bought the products should return them to where they purchased the items for a full refund.

All lots and sell-by dates for products labeled as “Packed by B&H Foods, Inc., Chester, SC” are being recalled. Products labeled as packed in Charlotte are not included in the recall.

Products being recalled are:

Ruth’s Original Pimento Spread, UPC 74952-00005, 7 oz.

Ruth’s Original Pimento Spread, UPC 74952-12023, 12 oz.

Ruth’s Original Pimento Spread, UPC 74952-24023, 24 oz.

Ruth’s Old Fashion Pimento Spread, UPC 74952-15005, 16 oz.

Ruth’s Jalapeno Pimento Spread, UPC 74952-12014, 12 oz.

Ruth’s Lite Pimento Spread, UPC 74952-12000, 12 oz.

Ruth’s Cream Cheese w/Pineapple-Pecans, UPC 74952-12008, 12 oz.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people can suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women, N.C. officials said.

Consumers with questions can call the company at 800-532-0409, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Charlotte company expands recall of Ruth’s pimento spreads."