Veggies with possible listeria contamination recalled from popular supermarkets

25 August 2023 , 15:42

1042     0

If you bought any of the 22 products listed by the FDA, you can return them for a full refund (Image: FDA)

Twin City Foods, Inc. is recalling thousands of bags of frozen mixed vegetables and corn after a customer's third-party lab results revealed the bags may be contaminated with listeria.

The Washington and Michigan-based food manufacturers say that 22 different products have been affected. Their products are sold throughout Kroger, Food Lion, and Albertsons Cos. stores.

"A limited quantity of Not-Ready-To Eat Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) Super Sweet Cut Corn and Mixed Vegetables in retail bags, due to a potential for these products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes," the company stated in an announcement shared by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems (FDA)

A bag of frozen mixed vegetables is being recalled due to a customer's third-party test (FDA)

Currently, the company adds that there "have been no actual consumer reports of human illness or other complaints associated with this product." However, any shoppers that find any of the brands listed in their freezer are being urged to return them for a full refund.

"The recall has been initiated because finished products may potentially be contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes, based on one customer's 3rd party lab results for the IQF sweet cut corn," Twin City Foods, Inc. stated. Although no one has been sick and the company hasn't 100 percent confirmed the contamination, all potential listeria outbreaks are taken extremely seriously as the bacteria can lead to mass deaths.

Boots urgently recalls kids product over fears it could make children sick

Last week, three people died from a severe bacterial infection, leaving health officials scrambling to find the source. A further two were left badly ill following the listeria outbreak, a health investigation found.

Six people in Washington and two from New York and Pennsylvania have contracted Listeria as a result of eating contaminated ice cream from two separate brands. Those in Washington were listed as having consumed Frugals ice cream while the others in New York and Pennsylvania had eaten Real Kosher ice cream.

Listeria can cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women (FDA)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "The disease primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. It’s rare for people in other groups to get sick with Listeria infection." Symptoms can include fever, flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.

An outbreak last year that left 18 people in hospital was connected to leafy greens. In May this year, health officials in 19 states prevented the sale of raw milk amid fears the product can be "contaminated with harmful germs," including listeria.

However, Iowa joined dozens of others on July 1 in allowing small producers and farmers to sell unpasteurized milk from cows, sheep, and goats to consumers.

Yelena Mandenberg