DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Amid a massive frozen foods recall involving millions of packages of fruits and vegetables that were shipped to all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico, authorities who want to stem the listeria-linked illnesses and deaths worry it’ll be difficult to get consumers to dig through their freezers and check for products they may have bought as far back as 2014.
It’s one of the largest food recalls in recent memory, with well over 400 products from CRF Frozen Foods in Pasco, Washington, sold under more than 40 different brand names at major retailers like Costco, Target, Trader Joe’s and Safeway. So far, eight people have been sickened by listeria that’s genetically similar to that found in CRF vegetables, and two have died, though listeria was not the primary cause of death.
“Unquestionably, this is a lot of product. … It reflects the severity of listeria as an illness, the long duration of illnesses and the outbreak and the long shelf life of the products,” said Matthew Wise, who leads the outbreak response team at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The initial recall started April 22, covering 11 frozen vegetable products. On May 2, CRF expanded it to include all of its frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed at its Washington plant since May 1, 2014. Thanks to recently developed whole-genome sequencing of food-contaminating bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration and CDC found that the listeria bacteria found in the blood of a person sickened in 2013 is genetically similar to the listeria tied to the recall.
“The idea is that it’s possible that it could be linked to this plant as far back as that because of the match. As a result the company, working with the FDA, decided to do the recall that far back,” CRF spokesman Gene Grabowski said.
The CRF plant closed two weeks ago and Grabowski said the company is still trying to pinpoint the source of the contamination.
Wise said he wants consumers to check the online recall lists and discard the products from of their freezers. “Listeriosis always makes us worry because it’s such a serious infection,” he said. The CDC says listeria is most harmful to adults over 65 with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.
The FDA and CDC have developed a system to track the genetic makeup of salmonella, listeria and E.coli. Once a food-related illness outbreak is identified, scientists can match the DNA from contaminated food with the bacteria making people sick and potentially trace it to the originating food processing plant.
In this outbreak, of those eight who were sick, six were in California. The two people who died were from Maryland and Washington.
Authorities say it’s unclear why there are not more illnesses from listeria. Wise said that the levels of listeria contamination might not be high or may be uneven in the packaged vegetables. Also, the vegetables in the recall are typically cooked before they’re eaten, which would kill the bacteria.
The CDC continues to monitor state illness reports for any sign of additional cases, Wise said.
Listeria causes an estimated 1,600 cases of illness each year in the U.S., but just half are reported. About 18 percent of listeriosis patients die.
FDA spokeswoman Lauren Sucher said it’s important to follow label directions for cooking frozen foods and to check freezers thoroughly for the products listed on the FDA website.
A recall that affects Hawaii in particular involve Natural Directions Organic Mixed Vegetables and Natural Directions Organic Green Peas, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriage and stillbirths among pregnant women.
This voluntary action is being undertaken because the recalled products contain vegetables that were purchased from CRF Frozen Foods and are part of the recent CRF Frozen Foods recall.
No other NORPAC retail branded products are affected by this recall.
UPC | Item | “Best if used by” dates | Mfg Code |
---|---|---|---|
# 0-15400-19672-7 | 12 oz Natural Directions Organic Mixed Vegetables | June 2017, February 2018, April 2018 | 5J5 16X8 HH:MM, 5F6 16X8 HH:MM, 5H6 19X8 HH:MM |
# 0-15400-19670-3 | 12 oz Natural Directions Organic Green Peas | March 2018, April 2018 | 5G6 21X8 HH:MM, 5H6 11X8 HH:MM, 5H6 12X8 HH:MM |
All retailers who received the products have been contacted. Products being recalled may have been purchased in the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Guam.
Consumers who purchased these products may return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund, or simply discard them. Consumers with questions may call the company contact at 888-641-9349, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hawaii time.