Release No. 0178.96

                                   Steve Lombardi  (202) 720-9113
                                   Jerry Redding   (202) 720-6959

SWIFT CANNED HAMS RECALLED NATIONWIDE

     WASHINGTON, April 10, 1996--Swift-Eckrich, a Downers Grove, Ill., food
processing firm, is voluntarily recalling about 15,000 pounds of its canned
hams distributed nationwide because some of the product was underprocessed and
may have the potential of causing serious illness if eaten, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture announced today.

     All 5-pound cans of "Swift Premium Fully Cooked Ham, Water Added"with
the code "EST 543 6066" printed in black ink on the side of the can are being
recalled.  "EST. 543" appears inside the USDA inspection seal on the product
label.  Only the 5-pound size of this product is being recalled; other sizes
are not affected by the recall.

     "Because of the potential hazard, we urge consumers to avoid opening or
tasting the recalled product," said Michael R. Taylor, USDA's acting under
secretary for food safety and also administrator of USDA's Food Safety and
Inspection Service. "We urge consumers who may have purchased the suspect
product to return it to the place of purchase," Taylor said.

     USDA was notified of the problem when the company discovered that some
of the product already shipped to stores may have been undercooked.

     Common symptoms of foodborne illness include nausea, vomiting, abdominal
pain, and diarrhea; and, in some cases, flu-like symptoms such as fever,
chills, and headache.

     Consumers with questions about the recall may phone the toll-free USDA
Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.  The Hotline can be reached from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday.  This number also
provides access to a telecommunications device for the deaf and the hearing
impaired.

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Editor's Note:  To help consumers identify the product, the company has
provided the following toll-free consumer inquiry telephone number: 
1-800-846-5426.  This number will be answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central
Time) Monday through Friday; a recorded message is available at other times. 
Media inquiries to the firm should be directed to 708-512-1152.