According to a Press Release – Fresh Express is voluntarily recalling 2,825 cases of Veggie Lovers Salad with a Product Code of I208 and Use-by Date of August 10, 2010 out of an abundance of caution due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. No other Fresh Express salads are included in the recall. No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall.

Listeria-monocytogenes.jpgThe precautionary recall notification is being issued due to an isolated instance in which one package of Fresh Express Veggie Lovers Salad yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test collected and conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Only the Veggie Lovers salad products with a Product Code of I208 and a Use-by Date of August 10 are included in the recall. Retailers and Consumers who have any remaining product should not consume it, but rather discard it. Consumers can find the Product Code and Use-by Date in the upper right-hand corner of the package. Although limited in number, the cases were distributed by Fresh Express to 13 states with the potential for redistribution by customers to an additional 14 states.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause foodborne illness in a person who eats a food item contaminated with it. Symptoms of infection may include fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If it spreads to the nervous system symptoms may include headache, stiff neck or confusion. The illness primarily impacts pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems. Most healthy adults and children rarely become seriously ill.