Oscar Mayer turkey bacon recalled over possible listeria contamination
In an alert Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said the recalled products were produced April 24 through June 11 of this year and shipped to stores nationwide.
The recalled products include:
12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of "Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL"
With universal product code (UPC) "071871548601" printed on the packaging under the barcode"Use by" dates ranging "18 JUL 2025" to "02 AUG 2025"Lot code "RS40"
36-oz. packages containing three 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of "Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL"
UPC "071871548748" "Use by" dates ranging "23 JUL 2025" to "04 SEP 2025" Lot codes "RS19," "RS40" or "RS42"
48-oz. packages containing four 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of "Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL"
UPC "071871548793" "Use by" dates ranging "18 JUL 2025" to "04 SEP 2025"Lot codes "RS19," "RS40" or "RS42"
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions to date, but the agency warns eating contaminated food can cause listeriosis, a serious infection.
Listeria infections are caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Symptoms to look out for include headaches, fevers, changes in your mental status, difficulty walking and even seizures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that people may also experience a stiff neck and flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue.
Some people are also at higher risk of severe cases, including those who are pregnant, newborns, adults 65 or older, and those with weakened immune systems.
"Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," the recall alert noted. "Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider."
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What happens to your stomach in a hot dog eating contest?
Competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut gulps down dozens of hot dogs each Fourth of July at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest — and comes back do it again year after year. But no one really knows what long-term impacts it might have on his body or the bodies of other competitive eaters. Chestnut has eaten as many as 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, surpassing the world record he set in 2021 when he ate 76 hot dogs and buns. He downed 62 to win the Nathan's contest in 2023 but did not compete in 2024. Chestnut returned this year and ate 70.5 hot dogs and buns, taking the title once again. In the women's competition, defending champion Miki Sudo wolfed down 33 hot dogs and buns this year after eating a record 51 dogs in 2024. Contestants can eat upwards of 22,000 calories in a single meal while competing. Long-term consequences are not well known because competitive eating is a relatively new sport with a relatively small number of participants, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Debbie Petitpain said. But health experts say the practice does raise some potential health concerns. The stomach, which normally contracts after people eat, could end up permanently stretched out, Dr. Rajeev Jain with Texas Digestive Disease Consultants said. It could also impact gastric emptying, the process by which food moves from the stomach into the duodenum. "Nobody is going to get funded for a randomized, controlled trial where you say, 'Hey, I'm going to quadruple your stomach size and see what happens to you,' because there's no reason to do that type of thing from a medical perspective," Jain said. Still, gastroenterologists have some idea of what happens when a trained competitor speed-eats dozens of hot dogs. A 2007 University of Pennsylvania study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology offers some clues. What happens to the stomach of competitive eaters? In the study, a control subject and a competitive speed eater — a 29-year-old man who was ranked in the top 10 worldwide — were asked to eat as many hot dogs as they could during a 12-minute period. While most contests call for including the buns, the study stuck to just hot dogs. Researchers studied the participants' stomachs beforehand and asked each man to ingest an effervescent agent and high-density barium before eating the hot dogs so they could watch the food as it moved through the participants' bodies. Based on fluoroscopy scans during the study, the researchers found the competitive eater's stomach was capable of expanding to accommodate significantly more food. The control subject ate seven hot dogs before he felt sick and needed to stop. At the 10-minute mark, the competitive speed eater had ingested 36 hot dogs; researchers asked him to stop because they were worried for him. "His stomach now appeared as a massively distended, food-filled sac occupying most of the upper abdomen, with little or no gastric peristalsis and emptying of a small amount of barium into the duodenum," the researchers wrote. At the end, they said his abdomen protruded "enough to create the distinct impression of a developing intrauterine pregnancy." Dr. David Metz, who was one of the authors of the study and has worked as a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said speed eaters have the ability to relax their stomachs so they can ingest more food. The average, empty stomach is about the size of a fist or a fist and a half, he said. It's made of two parts: a receptacle on top and a grinder, of sorts, on the bottom. The stomach muscles will stretch to accommodate food as people eat, but every muscle "has its point at which there's no return." "You could potentially end up with a big bag that doesn't contract properly," Metz said. The study noted that competitive eaters have reported using "varying methods of training" to try to expand their stomach capacity, including ingesting "vast amounts of cabbage" or "water loading," which can be hazardous. In the immediate aftermath of eating contests, participants report feeling extremely bloated and tired. They also report gastrointestinal distress in the day or two after a competition. Other side effects of competitive eating Competitive eating impacts more than just the stomach. Participants can become sweaty, lightheaded and faint in the aftermath, experts said. Some speed eaters have noted pain in their face, jaw and neck afterwards because of the amount of chewing and swallowing involved. "Some athletes have reported arthritis in the jaw, excruciating pain in that area," Petitpain said. It's not just the large quantity of food that's a problem. It's also the type of food. Hot dogs are high in sodium. According to the nutritional information on Nathan's website, one of its Original Coney Island natural casing beef hot dogs contains 170 calories, 16 grams of fat (including 6 grams of saturated fat), and 480 milligrams of sodium. Other varieties are higher. The USDA's 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. It would take fewer than five hot dogs to go over the daily limit. "If they're absorbing too much sodium, their thirst mechanism is going to kick in and they're going to drink a lot of water afterwards," Jain said. "My concern is, if your stomach is so full of food, how are you going to get the other compensatory liquids in?" High-sodium diets are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, which is a major cause of both stroke and heart disease. Ingesting excessive sodium can impact kidney function. The spike in sodium can also cause blood pressure to soar, putting pressure on blood vessels in the body, Petitpain said. "If there's a weak spot in those blood vessels that gets stressed, that could cause a heart attack," Petitpain said. "Or if there is a bursting of the vessels in the brain, a stroke." The high level of fat ingested could cause nausea, diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress, Petitpain said. During the annual contest, the competitors also eat the buns, which means a lot of carbs. "This large load of protein, of carbohydrates, of starches, all these things, they're now going to be dumped into the small intestine. And while this is going on, your body has to crank up its insulin," Jain said. But all told, if the competitive eater goes back to a normal diet once a contest is over, their body should regulate back to normal. "Your body is a very adaptive organism," Metz said. "The kidneys flush out the excess sodium and other micronutrients." There are still dangers, though. Beyond the immediate stomach pains competitors might feel, there are much worse possibilities. Competitors who vomit risk aspirating or tearing the lining of their esophagus, Metz said. People have died during eating competitions. In 2017, a 20-year-old college student died after choking during a pancake-eating contest. That same year, a 42-year-old man asphyxiated during a donut-eating contest. "There's a lot of danger involved and many of us have been very concerned about this," Metz said. Major League Eating, the organization that oversees professional competitions, does have safety teams on hand at events, and says it "strongly opposes and discourages home training of any kind." 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Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
New Study Says Skip the Hot Dogs This Fourth of July
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As Americans fire up their grills for the Fourth of July, a new study published in Nature Medicine says that there is no safe amount of hot dogs—or any processed meat—to consume. The study, led by Dr. Demewoz Haile of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, found that even small daily servings of processed meat significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and heart disease. The findings arrive just as Americans are expected to consume over 150 million hot dogs during the holiday weekend. Health experts are urging moderation, if not outright avoidance, of processed meats, sugary drinks, and trans fats. The study analyzed data from over 60 prior studies and employed a burden-of-proof methodology to evaluate the strength of the evidence. Hot dogs are ready for the 2025 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating competition at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York on July 4, 2025. Hot dogs are ready for the 2025 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating competition at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York on July 4, It Matters Hot dogs are a staple of July 4 celebrations, but this research contributes to a growing body of evidence linking processed meats to an increased risk of chronic disease. With diet-related illnesses already among the leading causes of death in the U.S., the study speaks to the need for more transparent communication about the risks of everyday foods that are deeply embedded in American culture. What To Know Eating just 50 grams of processed meat daily—the weight of a typical hot dog—is associated with an 11 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer. The study also found links between sugary drinks and ischemic heart disease and between trans fats and elevated cholesterol. Researchers concluded that there is no safe level of habitual consumption of processed meats, sugary drinks, or trans fats. The strongest associations were observed even at low levels of intake, suggesting that regular consumption—regardless of the amount—poses measurable health risks. The research pooled data from over 60 studies and applied a burden-of-proof risk function to assess the strength and consistency of the evidence. While observational, the study's scale and statistical rigor make its findings difficult to ignore. Dr. Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study, said the findings support existing dietary guidelines to limit processed meat, per CNN. Other experts emphasized that occasional indulgence is unlikely to cause harm, but regular consumption should be avoided. The study's release coincides with the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and a weekend when Americans traditionally consume millions of hot dogs. Health officials are using the moment to encourage healthier grilling choices and raise awareness about long-term dietary risks. What People Are Saying Authors of Health effects associated with consumption of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and transfatty acids: a Burden of Proof study: "We observed a statistically in type 2 diabetes risk associated with higher processed meat consumption; that is, disease risk increased with increased intake." Dr. Demewoz Haile, the study's lead author, told CNN.: "Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks and trans fatty acids is linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer. What Happens Next While the study is unlikely to stop Americans from enjoying hot dogs this weekend, it may influence future dietary guidelines and public health campaigns.
Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Rural hospitals brace for financial hits or even closure under Republicans' $1 trillion Medicaid cut
OMAHA, Neb. — Tyler Sherman, a nurse at a rural Nebraska hospital, is used to the area's aging farmers delaying care until they end up in his emergency room. Now, with Congress planning around $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years, he fears those farmers and the more than 3,000 residents of Webster County could lose not just the ER, but also the clinic and nursing home tied to the hospital. 'Our budget is pretty heavily reliant on the Medicaid reimbursement, so if we do see a cut of that, it'll be difficult to keep the doors open,' said Sherman, who works at Webster County Community Hospital in the small Nebraska town of Red Cloud just north of the Kansas border. If those facilities close, many locals would see their five-minute trip to Webster County hospital turn into a nearly hour-long ride to the nearest hospital offering the same services. 'That's a long way for an emergency,' Sherman said. 'Some won't make it.' 'Having Medicaid keeps me alive': Illinois residents anxiously watch as Congress considers Medicaid cutsStates and rural health advocacy groups warn that cutting Medicaid — a program serving millions of low-income and disabled Americans — would hit already fragile rural hospitals hard and could force hundreds to close, stranding some people in remote areas without nearby emergency care. More than 300 hospitals could be at risk for closure under the Republican bill, according to an analysis by the Cecil G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which tracks rural hospital closures. Even as Congress haggled over the controversial bill, a health clinic in the southwest Nebraska town of Curtis announced Wednesday it will close in the coming months, in part blaming the anticipated Medicaid cuts. Bruce Shay, of Pomfret, Connecticut, fears he and his wife could be among those left in the lurch. At 70, they're both in good health, he said. But that likely means that if either needs to go to a hospital, 'it's going to be an emergency.' Day Kimball Hospital is nearby in Putnam, but it has faced recent financial challenges. Day Kimball's CEO R. Kyle Kramer acknowledged that a Senate bill passed Tuesday — estimated to cut federal Medicaid spending in rural areas by $155 billion over 10 years — would further hurt his rural hospital's bottom line. Roughly 30% of Day Kimball's current patients receive Medicaid benefits, a figure that's even higher for specific, critical services like obstetrics and behavioral health. 'An emergency means I'm 45 minutes to an hour away from the nearest hospital, and that's a problem,' Shay said. And he and his wife wouldn't be the only ones having to make that trip. 'You've got, I'm sure, thousands of people who rely on Day Kimball Hospital. If it closed, thousands of people would have to go to another hospital,' he said. 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'Meaning that any amount of cut to a payer — especially a payer like Medicaid that makes up a significant portion of rural provider funding — is going to be consequential to the rural hospitals' ability to provide certain services or maybe even keep their doors open at the end of the day.' A KFF report shows 36 states losing $1 billion or more over 10 years in Medicaid funding for rural areas under the Republican bill, even with the $50 billion rural fund. No state stands to lose more than Kentucky. The report estimates the Bluegrass State would lose a whopping $12.3 billion — nearly $5 billion more than the next state on the list. That's because the bill ends Kentucky's unique Medicaid reimbursement system and reduces it to Medicare reimbursement levels. Kentucky currently has one of the lowest Medicare reimbursement rates in the country. It also has one of the highest poverty rates, leading to a third of its population being covered by Medicaid. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a two-term Democrat widely seen as a potential candidate for president in 2028, said the bill would close 35 hospitals in his state and pull health care coverage for 200,000 residents. 'Half of Kentucky's kids are covered under Medicaid. They lose their coverage and you are scrambling over that next prescription,' Beshear said during an appearance on MSNBC. 'This is going to impact the life of every single American negatively. It is going to hammer our economy.'
