Sprouts Farmers Market Recalls Spinach In Ellicott City

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Sprouts Farmers Market has recalled bags of frozen spinach across the country, including from its Ellicott City store. Federal health officials say that the leafy greens might be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which could cause a serious infection.

The 16-ounce bags of frozen cut leaf spinach and frozen organic cut leaf spinach had use-by dates of Dec. 3, 2021, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which posted notice of the recall this week. National Frozen Foods of Oregon manufactured the products.

A random sample showed the spinach leaves contained the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, the FDA reported.

Listeria can cause fever and diarrhea, and if it spreads beyond the gut, may lead to a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. In pregnant women it can cause the unborn child to die.

The recalled bags were shipped to retailers in 19 states: Maryland, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Sprouts Farmers Market has removed all recalled products from its stores and is investigating with National Frozen Foods to ensure all food safety standards were being "met and enforced."

No illnesses have been reported, the FDA said on Monday, June 17.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that sickens an estimated 1,600 people every year. The illness can be deadly, with about 260 people dying from it every year.Pregnant women, newborns and adults 65 and older are most at risk to contract the infection, as well as people with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those sickened by invasive listeriosis should take antibiotics.

Sprouts told Patch in an emailed statement that food safety and the health of customers is of "utmost importance" to the company.

Anyone who bought the spinach should throw it out or return it to the store for a full refund.

Here are the products:

• Sprouts Frozen Cut Leaf Spinach, 16oz. bag, UPC 87487500982, Lot 19031203A03, USE BY 12/03/21. Identifying information can be found on the back of the package.
• Sprouts Frozen Organic Cut Leaf Spinach, 16oz. bag, UPC 87487500991, Lot 19031203A03, USE BY 12/03/21. Identifying information can be found on the back of the package.

— By Patch national editor Dan Hampton