Lancaster Foods LLC has temporarily halted production of its processed butternut squash items. This break in production follows a voluntary product recall of items because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.