If you’re like most of America, you buy your food from larger chain stores like Target, Costco, Sam’s Club and Walmart. And, if you’re like most Americans, you indulge in a frozen dinner or bag of veggies once or twice a week. After all, not many of us have time to whip up a gourmet meal between spending nine hours at work and running the kids to and from soccer practice. And while frozen foods can be delightfully tasty when prepped right, they are not always the best for you to eat, especially as of late.
Back in October, Walmart and other big-name retailers were involved in a nationwide listeria outbreak. The bacteria had contaminated the frozen food products, but the retailers were unaware of the issue and were unwittingly selling contaminated foods to consumers. After people across the nation were falling ill due to listeria bacteria, an investigation was conducted. It turned out that one thing that all the listeria patients had in common was that they had each recently consumed frozen food from a big box store. If you want to protect yourself and your loved ones from the listeria bacteria, here is what you need to know about Listeria monocytogenes and what foods are currently under scrutiny.
What, Exactly, is Listeria Monocytogenes?
The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate foods which, if ingested, can cause a serious bacterial infection known as “listeriosis,” which results in scary physical symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the bacteria infects about 1,600 people every year and has a death rate of about 16 percent, a relatively high rate compared to many other infections and diseases.
Symptoms of listeriosis to look out for include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Muscle aches
- Diarrhea
- Confusion
- Loss of balance
- Convulsions
According to the CDC, “People with invasive listeriosis usually report symptoms starting 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria. [Some] people have reported symptoms starting as late as 70 days after exposure or as early as the same day of exposure.”
Who is At Risk for Listeriosis?
While listeriosis can infect anyone, those who are most at risk of contracting the infection include:
- Pregnant women
- People with weakened immune systems
- Older adults
- Organ transplant patients
- People with certain diseases, such as:
- HIV/AIDS or other autoimmune diseases
- End-stage renal disease
- Liver disease
- Cancer
- Alcoholism
- Diabetes
For these groups, listeriosis can pose a major risk, which is why it is so important to understand if you have been infected. In order to know that, you need to know what foods you have consumed that contained the virus so that you may keep an eye out for symptoms and, if applicable, destroy the remaining items in your refrigerator or cupboards.
Foods That Have Been Recalled for Listeria Monocytogenes in 2018
Although foods on the 2017 list are a few months old, people may still have frozen food items from Wal-Mart in their freezers. If they are, according to the FDA, you can return them to the store for a refund, or just get rid of them yourself.
Bountiful Harvest Green Peas 40 oz. 6E11B1N
Bountiful Harvest Green Peas 40 oz. 6E11C1N
Bountiful Harvest Green Peas 40 oz. 6E11D1N
Bountiful Harvest Green Peas 40 oz. 6E11E1N
First Street Green Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 28 2017
First Street Green Peas 40 oz. BEST IF USED BY 06 2 2017
First Street Green Peas 40 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 11 2017
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 07 06 2017
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 07 20 2017
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 07 27 2017
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 25 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 26 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 07 18 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 09 28 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 07 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 26 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 03 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 11 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 10 17
Great Value Mixed Vegetables 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 12 08 17
Great Value Steamable Mixed Vegetables BEST IF USED BY 10 04 17
Great Value Steamable Mixed Vegetables BEST IF USED BY 10 09 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 03 02 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 08 06 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 14 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 21 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 20 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 02 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 03 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 12 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 04 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 10 14 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 04 17
Great Value Sweet Peas 26 oz. BEST IF USED BY 11 15 17
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076C3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076D3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076E3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076F3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076G3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076H3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076J3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076K3N
Live Smart Mixed Vegetables 32 oz. NY6076L3N
Market Pantry Sweet Peas 32 oz. Best by 17 SEP 2017
Sprouts Farmers Market Mixed Vegetables 16 oz. USE BY 08 02 18 6B08G3N
More recent but less widespread recalls include:
Rich Products Corporation Recalls 3,420 Pounds of Beef Meatball Products (listeria contamination)
Sold at: Select Sam’s Clubs
Bellisio Foods, Inc. Recalls Certain Michelina’s Fettuccine Alfredo Packages (undeclared soy)
Sold at: Select Walmart stores
Hiland Dairy Recalls Highland Dairy Orange Juice and Tampico Citrus Punch (undeclared milk)
Sold at: Select Walmart stores
Hom/Ade Foods, Inc. Recalls Mary B’s® Brand Frozen Biscuits(listeria)
For the complete list of most recent recalls, visit the FDA.com.
Listeria thrives in cold environments, so check your refrigerators and freezers for any of the products on this list, throw them out and follow the cleaning advice found here on FoodSafety.gov.
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