A large and wide-ranging recall spurred retailer Costco to voluntarily remove quick-frozen vegetables and fruits from all seven of its stores in the Sacramento region.
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“Approximately 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands were recalled”. However the CDC says that listeriosis was not the cause. The fruits and vegetables were sold at Costco, Costco Canada, Walmart, Safeway and Trader Joe’s, among other stores, in all 50 USA states and several Canadian provinces.
The list of recalled products on the Food and Drug Administration’s website includes organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, blueberries, cherries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries and other products.
After two deaths and six more people sent to the hospital, Pasco-based CRF Frozen Foods is expanding their voluntary recall to include nearly 360 different organic and non-organic frozen fruits and vegetables that could be contaminated with the potentially lethal Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, reports The Charlotte Observer.
Consumption of contaminated food with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, which can turn out to be a fatal infection that majorly affects elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
Consumers are advised to return the recalled items for a refund or throw them away. “Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin, such as meats and dairy products.When Listeria bacteria get into a food processing factory, they can live there for years, sometimes contaminating food products”.
Listeria outbreaks not uncommon in U.S. Its symptoms include fever, chills, headache and nausea.
The recall took place after the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that sunflower seeds in the product may be contaminated with listeria.
Listeria outbreaks have occurred on a regular basis in the United States. Two illnesses were reported in 2016 and six were reported between 2013 and 2015. The other cases are from California.
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Thirty-three people died and 143 were hospitalized in 28 states.
