State Garden, Chelsea, Massachusetts is conducting a voluntary recall of all of its salad products produced in its plant on January 4, 2011, over concerns about foodborne illness, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), just announced. The date corresponds to trace back codes 45693 and 45703 and the recall has been implemented due to […]
State Garden, Chelsea, Massachusetts is conducting a voluntary recall of all of its salad products produced in its plant on January 4, 2011, over concerns about foodborne illness, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), just announced.
The date corresponds to trace back codes 45693 and 45703 and the recall has been implemented due to a risk of contamination with the dangerous, sometimes deadly, food poisoning pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. To date, no Listeria illnesses have been linked to any State Garden product; however, foodborne illness and food poisoning symptoms often take some time to manifest.
The firm was notified by the Rhode Island Department of Health that a sample of Northeast Spring Mix Salad at a retail store in Rhode Island tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
Salad Products and Blends under this recall were distributed to retail stores on the East Coast under various sizes and packaged under the brand names: Gold Quality, Hannaford, Natures Place, Natures Promise, Roche Bros, Northeast Fresh, Noreast Fresh, Olivia’s Organics, Signature, Wegmans. A complete list of specific salad products, sizes, package types, and UPC codes can be accessed at here.
The traceback code numbers (45693 and 45703) are typically located in the upper right-hand corner of labels and bags. The “best if used by” date will be no later than January 15, 2011 for either trace back code. These are the only trace back codes affected.
Consumers who have purchased this product should not consume it and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions can contact the company, toll-free, at 1-888-841-6191 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Eastern Standard Time.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause Listeriosis, a potentially type of food poisoning. While healthy people rarely contract Listeriosis, the symptoms of Listeria poisoning can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Listeriosis is known to result in serious, sometimes fatal, infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, persons with HIV infection, and those undergoing chemotherapy. In pregnant women, Listeria food poisoning can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth of a baby suffering from the infection. Pregnant women are about 20 times likelier than others to be infected; Listeriosis can kill fetuses, prompt premature births, and can lead to hearing loss or brain damage in newborns and neurological effects and cardio respiratory failure in adults.
Listeria monocytogenes infects about 2,500 people in the U.S., killing 500.
