6 Listeria Recalls Issued This Week As Pa. List Expands Again

At least six nationwide Listeria recalls have been issued this week as the list expanded again Friday.

Certain brands of frozen vegetables, granola bars and sunflower seeds have been recalled from stores nationwide because of a serious and sometimes fatal contamination risk, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

On Friday, ConAgra Foods said it's voluntarily recalling Watts Brothers Farms Organic Mixed Vegetables, Organic Super Sweet Corn (Yellow/Gold) and Organic Peas, and Trader Joe’s Organic Super Sweet Corn because of the potential for these products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The Watts Brothers and Trader Joe’s products contain vegetables that are part of the recent CRF Frozen Foods recall, the FDA said.

Products covered by this recall were distributed in the U.S. Watts Brothers Farms products, which were sold at Costco and Trader Joe’s.

In each recall, the product was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that is especially a risk for frail or elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. The Listeria infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, according to the FDA.

Healthy individuals who get listeria may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Eight people infected with the outbreak strains of Listeria have been reported from three states since Sept. 13, 2013. All eight people were hospitalized, including one from Maryland and one from Washington who died, although listeriosis was not considered to be a cause of death for either person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is a complex, ongoing investigation. Updates will be provided when more information is available," according to the CDC website.

Recalls issued earlier this week included:

• CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington recalled 15 frozen vegetable items that have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Listeria monocytogenes was found to be present in one lot of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) organic petite green peas and one lot of IQF organic white sweet cut corn. State health officials in Ohio discovered the listeria through routine testing. Read more here.
• Later in the week, CRF expanded its recall of 15 frozen vegetable items to include all “frozen organic and traditional fruits and vegetables” labeled under 42 different brand names, including Walmart's Great Value brand. Read more here.
• Giant is recalling some store brand granola bars because of Listeria concerns, the retailer announced Thursday.Giant's Sweet & Salty Almond Chewy Granola Bars have been recalled due to potential Listeria contamination. Read more here.
• The USDA announced a recall of Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat that was sold at Trader Joe’s locations in four states because the product might have been contaminated with Listeria. Read more here.
• Giant Eagle said it is recalling some of its products containing sunflowers sold at its stores in Michigan and 27 other states because of possible Listeria contamination. Read more here.

The CDC recommends that consumers do not eat, and restaurants and retailers do not serve or sell, recalled organic and traditional frozen vegetables and fruit products.

• Recalled items were sold nationwide and in Canada.
• A complete table of recalled products is on the FDA website.