Listeria causes the sixth frozen fruit or vegetable recall this month, second this week
Organic grilled red peppers became the latest frozen fruit or vegetable recalled for a virus or foodborne bacteria when UNFI pulled 10-ounce packages of its Woodstock brand after listeria was found.
The UNFI-written, FDA-posted recall notice says routine testing by the Rhode Island Department of Health turned up listeria in lot No. 60B. So, all 10-ounce bags of lot No. 60B with an expiration date of April 2020 have been recalled. The peppers were sold nationwide.
Other than the volume, what’s unusual about the seven recalls in the last two weeks of frozen produce is that there doesn’t seem to be a common thread among sources. Townsend Farms made the frozen berries for Kroger chain and Costco store brands that got recalled for Hepatitis A concerns. But all the other recalls have been from different manufacturers in different locations and for norovirus or listeria.
Listeria causes listeriosis, which hits 1,600 people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 260 die from it. The most vulnerable to effects beyond fever, nausea, stomachaches and diarrhea are children under 5, senior citizens and those with damaged immune systems. In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause stillbirths and miscarriages.
Consumers with questions can contact ResponseTeam@bluemarblebrands.com.
This story was originally published June 20, 2019 at 7:17 PM.
