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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Fresh Express is recalling eight-ounce packages of "Fresh Express Spinach" and nine-ounce bags of "Publix Spinach" that have a product code of "G332" due to the potential health risk.
Officials said that the recall was announced after a routine inspection by the Florida Department of Agriculture produced a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a single randomly selected package of spinach.
Retailers were then advised and instructed to remove the items from store shelves, and consumers are being cautioned to check their fridges.
According to the FDA, the recalled items were sold in seven states, including Virginia. Others involved include:
- Alabama;
- Florida;
- Georgia;
- North Carolina;
- South Carolina;
- Tennessee.
To date, officials say that there have been no reported illnesses in connection to the recalled Fresh Express products.
People who are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments are at a higher risk for severe Listeria illness.
According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and their newborns.
Less commonly, others outside those risk groups are affected.
“Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
"An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.”
Listeria affects approximately 1,600 Americans each year, killing around 260, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Most people suffer only spiking fever, stomachaches, nausea, diarrhea, and headaches.
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