WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Listeria Monocytogene, or Listeria for short, has contaminated some enoki mushrooms grown in Korea and imported to the United States, foodpoisoningnews.com has learned. In early March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proclaimed a recall of warning on all enoki mushrooms grown in Korea and distributed by Sun Hong Foods […]
Contaminated Enoki mushrooms recall
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Listeria Monocytogene, or Listeria for short, has contaminated some enoki mushrooms grown in Korea and imported to the United States, foodpoisoningnews.com has learned. In early March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proclaimed a recall of warning on all enoki mushrooms grown in Korea and distributed by Sun Hong Foods from California. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or more commonly referred to as CDC, divulged that 36 people in the last week have fallen ill from Listeria poisoning. Four deaths were reported, and 30 people were hospitalized as a consequence of eating contaminated enoki mushrooms. The CDC also said that Listeria contaminations in Korean enoki mushrooms could be traced as far back as November of 2016.
The FDA indicated that the contaminated enoki mushrooms were distributed to various retail stores and grocery outlets across the U.S., including stores in California, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Florida, and Illinois. Illnesses linked to the mushrooms have also been found in Rhode Island and Massachusetts as well.
The recalled mushrooms were sold in cardboard boxes, with 25-count of 20-gram batches of enoki mushrooms. The individual batches are packaged in clear bags and have green cardboard paneling. The enoki mushrooms themselves are white and have a long stem with a small-cap.
Neither the FDA nor the CDC has been able to determine why the enoki mushrooms recalled was contaminated. The FDA learned about the contamination after a lab in Michigan found Listeria in one of the samples tested. The safety lab tested 7.05 oz or 200-gram batches of enoki mushrooms. The FDA did not indicate why the lab in Michigan began testing the enoki mushrooms. Notwithstanding, Listeria contaminations typically break out after fecal matter comes in contact with food.
Anyone with a batch of recalled enoki mushrooms should return them to the place of purchase and demand a refund, or they should throw the batch away. No one should eat any enoki mushrooms from Sun Hong Foods, Inc. subject to this recall program.
