When the FDA and Wawona Packing announced a recall of certain “stone fruits” due to a positive Listeria test, it appeared to be a somewhat standard, and likely limited recall. However, over the last 24 hours, my email inbox has bulged and my phone has been ringing with consumers both concerned about theirs and their families health and what fruits have been recalled, and from where.
First, if you or someone you know are having any of the symptoms below, please seek prompt medical treatment. Listeria monocytogenes is not a bug to mess with. In the United States, the CDC estimates Listeriosis causes approximately 1600 illnesses and 260 deaths annually. A 2011 Listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe sickened 147 and killed 33.
Second, I have done my best to search government, business and press sites to find out what has been recalled and from where. If you have a fruit product, ask the store where it was purchased if it is part of a recall, and “if in doubt, throw it out.”
What is Listeria? 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. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. See – http://www.about-listeria.com – for more information.
What fruit has been recalled? Recalled fruit consists of conventional and organic yellow and white nectarines, yellow and white peaches, black plums and pluots
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has posted a list of all fruits recalled to date from the Wawona Packing Co., including packing numbers, searchable lot codes and Block ID numbers. The agency has also posted photos of the clamshells, boxes and bags the recalled fruit was shipped in or packaged in for retail sale at a variety of stores under the Wawona brand, Harvest Sweet or Sweet 2 Eat labels. The FDA photo pages, along with company photo pages, also show product weights and corresponding UPC numbers for the recalled fruit.
What stores have recalled fruit? Food Safety News reports that the following stores received the product and have reported recalls:
Trader Joes, Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Krogers, Aldi and Wegmans
I also find press reports of fruit recalls from:
Also, exported fruit to Canada and Australia has been impacted.