No listeria found in Schwebel products

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A follow-up test on samples taken from Schwebel’s Youngstown bakery showed no listeria contamination on any product made at the bakery, according to an assessment by an independent certified laboratory.

The announcement comes after Wednesday’s announcement that the strain of listeria found in the bakery’s facility on Midlothian Boulevard was not the species that poses a risk to public health.

“We appreciate and understand the general public’s concerns regarding our decision to withdraw products,” said Paul Schwebel, company president. “We also recognize the impact this withdrawal had on our commercial and institutional customers. The company voluntarily and proactively took these actions because the integrity of our product is paramount.”

The company halted production at the bakery earlier this week after an internal routine environmental sampling conducted by the company revealed the presence of the bacteria in the facility.

Listeria is a naturally occurring bacteria that can be found in any place where there is an accumulation of moisture. Some forms can cause infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems, and other forms are benign.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was contacted, and as a precautionary measure, the company made a voluntary withdrawal of all products shipped from the facility.

Products with an “A” at the beginning of the code by the best-by date were a part of the voluntary withdrawal on certain products from the marketplace in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, Michigan, West Virginia and Kentucky.

Schwebel still will honor the consumer return of products produced at the facility before Tuesday.

The FDA and Centers for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition have concluded their involvement, and production has picked back up.