Dangerous Frozen Vegetable, Fruit Recall Adds Walmart Label

A national recall of frozen vegetables and fruit from stores in Maryland and elsewhere because of a serious and sometimes fatal contamination risk, has expanded to include Walmart's "Great Value" label and others.

CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, WA, has expanded its voluntary recall of 15 frozen food items to include all “frozen organic and traditional fruits and vegetables” -- 358 in total -- labeled under 42 different brand names. The recalled lines include Walmart's store brand, a Trader Joe's label, Kirkland label sold in Costco stores, Safeway Kitchens labels, and Wild Oats lines, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The items that may be tainted have been sold in all 50 states and Canada.

“We are performing this voluntary recall in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because these products have the potential to be contaminated withListeria monocytogenes,” the company said in a media release issued through the FDA.

Listeria contamination can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. It is most especially dangerous to the young, frail and elderly, according to the CDC. It also poses a concern for those with weakened immune systems and women who are pregnant. Symptoms of infection include high fever, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women are also possible.

CRF’s initial voluntary recall was announced just over a week ago after concerns about possible Listeria contamination arose.

The recall now includes all products “manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods’ Pasco facility since May 1, 2014,” the news release says. All affected products have best by or sell by dates between April 26, 2016, and April 26, 2018. The recall includes some 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brand names.

The fruits and vegetables now part of the recall include: broccoli, butternut squash, corn, Italian beans, kale, lima beans, sweet potatoes, blueberries, cherries and more.

No illnesses have been reported to date, but the company is recalling the products as a precaution. The Listeria was discovered through routine testing by state health officials in Ohio, the FDA said in a release.

Anyone who purchased products included in the recall may return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund. Consumers with questions can call CRF's consumer hotline at 844-551-5595, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

CRF suspended operations at its Pasco facility on April 25. A thorough review will be conducted before operations resume.

The CDC has linked CRF products to the sickening of seven people from three states, the release noted. Two of these people later died, but “Listeria was not the cause of death in either person.”

All retailers who received shipments of the potentially contaminated products have been notified, the company said. Products involved in the recall were shipped to all 50 states and some Canadian provinces. Some of the brand names included are Bybees, Columbia River Organics, Organic by Nature, Earth’s Pride, Correct Choice, Chef Maxwell, Great Value and Wild Oats. For a complete listing of all recalled products, visit the FDA online.

Consumers are urged not to consume these products. Consumers who purchased these products may take them back to the store where they purchased them for a refund or simply discard them.

Consumers seeking information may call 844-551-5595 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, the FDA says.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, by Amada44 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36399463