Numerous food products produced by Parkers Farm Inc. are being recalled today because the packages may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne organism that is a leading cause of potentially fatal food poisoning.

Foods including peanut butter, bagel spreads, dips, and salsa are included in the voluntary nationwide recall announced by the Food and Drug Administration. Routine testing of samples of the food found some finished products contained the bacteria. The FDA and Parkers Farm are continuing to investigate in an effort to determine the source of the bacterial contamination, officials said.

While no illnesses have been reported in connection with the suspected bacterial contamination, officials announced the recall because of the serious threat to public health.

Listeria poisoning can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in frail or elderly people, young children, and people with weakened immune systems. While healthy people typically suffer only short-term symptoms including headache, fever, nausea, abdominal pain, stiffness, and diarrhea, a listeria infection can result in stillbirth or miscarriage in pregnant women, the FDA warns.