Certain frozen organic vegetables currently on supermarket shelves may contain deadly listeria bacteria.
A number of products have been taken off shelves in a voluntary recall by CRF Frozen Foods, for fear that they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Health officials in Ohio detected the offending organism during routine testing, according to the April 22 recall.
Listeria was found in CRF’s organic petite green peas and organic white sweet cut corn. No cases of illness have been reported and the Pasco, Washington-based company is recalling the 15 products as a precautionary measure.
The recall affects products under the following brands: True Goodness By Meijer, Wellsley Farms Organic, Organic By Nature, and Schwan’s.
The affected products were distributed to retailers in 35 states between Sept. 13, 2015, and March 16, 2016. However, the company notes they may have been redistributed to other states.
Some products were distributed to the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a severe infection of the gastrointestinal tract that often spreads beyond it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Symptoms are known to vary between individuals, but typical symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
According to the CDC, listeriosis in pregnant women can cause “miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of newborns.”
CRF Frozen Foods urges any consumers in possession of affected products to not consume them. A full refund will be given to those who return the product to the place of purchase. The affected products can viewed here.
Consumers seeking information may call 1-844-551-5595 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
