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Clinton Meat Plant Will Remain Closed For Now Officials Trying To Eradicate Bacterial Contamination

CLINTON, Okla., 4:59 p.m. CDT April 5, 2001 -- A meat plant will remain closed until officials eradicate bacterial contamination detected in mid-March, a company official said Thursday.

Ken Stinn, vice president of operations groups for Bar-S Foods, said that the Clinton plant's 400 employees were off with pay all week. They returned to work Thursday for a staff meeting.

Officials are working to rid the plant of Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteria, which sometimes causes infections in pregnant women, newborns and elderly people, was detected in a sample of sliced ham taken from the plant March 19.

Stinn said he doesn't know how long the plant will remain closed.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta said Listeria monocytogenes can cause an infection called Listeriosis, which is one of the rarest food-borne diseases, but one of the most serious.

Bar-S officials said no illnesses have been associated with the company's sliced ham products.

All products manufactured the same day as the ham containing the bacteria have been withheld from sale, company officials said.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001