Whole Food is recalling packaged curry chicken salad and sandwiches and classic deli pasta salad sold at their branches in seven states after testing positive from Listeria bacteria, Gothamist reports. On Oct. 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a press release on their website stating the recall of the said Whole Food products in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
According to the FDA's statement packaged salad and sandwiches sold contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can "cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people," were sold in the seven affected states between Oct. 18 and Oct. 22. The products have a posted "sell by" date of Oct. 23.
The discovery of Listeria monocytogenes was made during a routine inspection of the Whole Foods Market's North Atlantic Kitchen facility. The list of products recalled are the following:
• Curry Chicken Salad, Our Chef’s Own (sold by weight)
• Curry Chicken Salad Wrap, Made Right Here (sold by weight, 12 oz)
• Single Curry Chicken Salad Wrap, Made Right Here (7 oz)
• Curry Chicken Salad CC (sold by weight)
• PPK Salad Chicken Curry (sold by weight)
• Curry Chicken Salad Rollup (7 oz)
• Classic Deli Pasta Salad (sold by weight)
• FP Pasta Salad Classic Deli (sold by weight)
• Classic Deli Pasta Salad (6 oz)
• Classic Deli Pasta Salad (14 oz)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that Listeria is caused by consuming food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. People affected with Listeria experience fever, muscle pain, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms due to the spread of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. People at risk include elder people, pregnant women, newborns and those with weak immune systems.
CDC notes that in the U.S., approximately 1,600 people die are infected with Listeria every year, 260 of these infected individuals die. For pregnant women, they have 10 times more likely to get Listeria than most of the population, and infection may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm labor as well as sickness or death of newborns.
To lessen the risk of Listeria in food, CDC recommends practicing safe preparation, consumption and storage of food.
The FDA reports that no illnesses or cases of Listeria have been reported. For those who have bought the said Listeria-infected products listed above, you must throw them away. You can also ask for a refund by presenting your receipt to the Whole Foods outlet.
