Trader Joe's Veggies Recalled For Listeria Risk In Florida

LAKELAND, FL — Vegetables sold at various retailers across the country, including Trader Joe's in Florida, have been recalled for potential listeria contamination.

"The fresh vegetable products include packaged varieties of butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini and a butternut squashed based veggie bowl," the FDA announcement said. The vegetables came from a Growers Express production facility in Maine.

No illnesses have been reported so far, according to the FDA. Most of the products affected by the recall have a "best if used by" date of June 26-29, 2019.

The vegetables were sold at a number of retailers across different states. The states impacted by the recall are Massachusetts, Connecticut, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine, New York, Maryland, Alabama, D.C. Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Nashville (Knoxville and Nashville), Virginia, Vermont and Wisconsin.

In Florida, Zucchini Spirals and Butternut Squash Spirals sold at Trader Joe's are included in the recall.

Different products were sold at different retailers in the affected states. You can find a full list of the recalled vegetables in each state on the FDA's website.

Consumers who purchased the affected products should not consume the vegetables, the FDA cautioned.

"The safety of our consumers is our first priority," Tom Byrne, President of Growers Express, said in a statement. "We self-reported the need for this recall to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and stopped production immediately after being notified of a single positive sample by the Massachusetts Department of Health. We are deep sanitizing the entire facility and our line equipment, as well as conducting continued testing on top of our usual battery of sanitation and quality and safety tests before resuming production."

Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and in those with weakened immune systems, the FDA says. Pregnant women are also at high risk as listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, the agency says.