Listeria is a serious illness caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has recalled Sweet 2 Eat brand fresh, whole peaches, plums, nectarines, and pluots, packed by Wawona Packing Company of Cutler, California, due to concerns about listeria. Consumers may see the product brand as Wawona, Sweet 2 Eat, or Harvest Sweet, depending on the product and retail location.
Canada’s recall followed a recent recall by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall was based on internal company testing and there are no known cases of illness yet. Products were packed between June 1 and July 12. The company has shut down the implicated packing lines, retrofitted equipment, sanitized the facility and retested. Subsequent daily test results have been negative.
According to CBC News, consumers that are in possession of potentially contaminated products should throw them away or return them to the store from which they were purchased. Huffington Post reports that Wawona does not have a list of specific stores where the potentially contaminated fruits may have been sold, major chains such as BJ’s, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Sam’s Club and Whole Foods have been cited.
According to the Food Poisoning Bulletin, listeria is a serious illness caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Anyone in a high risk category, including pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems, are more likely to experience a serious illness if infected. WebMD describes the symptoms as fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.
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