Frozen Fruit and Vegetable Recall Expanded Over Listeria Concerns

A recall of frozen fruits and vegetables due to food poisoning concerns has been widened to cover more than 350 different products sold under 42 different brand names. According to an NBC news report, this recall, issued over concerns that the products are contaminated with the potentially deadly listeria bacteria, covers a number of brands such as Wild Oats, True Goodness, Trader Joe’s, Great Value and Signature, and goes back all the way to 2014.

Eight Hospitalized Due to Illness

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that so far eight people have been infected with the bacteria across three states. All were hospitalized. The frozen vegetables were produced by CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington and sold under various brand names across a number of states including California.

The list of recalled products on the FDA’s website includes broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, kale, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strops, potatoes, blueberries, cherries and other products. CDC is recommending that consumers do not eat these recall products and that restaurants and retailers do not serve or sell these recalled products. Listeria infections put about 1,600 people in the hospital nationwide each year, according to CDC’s statistics. About 260 people die each year as a result of listeria infections. The most recent serious listeria outbreak involved Dole salads, which left four dead and 33 sick between May 2015 and February 2016.

Preventing Listeriosis

There are a number of steps you can take to prevent listeriosis:

• Rinse fruits and vegetables under running tap water.
• Separate uncooked meats and poultry from vegetables, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods in order to prevent cross-contamination.
• Listeria monocytogenes can grow in foods that are refrigerated. Use an appliance thermometer to check the temperatures inside your refrigerator.
• Clean all spills inside your refrigerator right away.
• Cook meat and poultry right away.

If You Have Been Infected

If you or a loved one has been infected with listeria bacteria as a result of eating contaminated food, it is important that you isolate the suspect food. It is a good idea to have the food tested in a lab for pathogens. Get prompt medical attention, treatment and care. Report your illness to the local health care agency, which tracks these types of outbreaks. Contact an experienced California food poisoning lawyer who will help protect your rights and ensure that you are fairly compensated for your losses.