Recalls: Sprouts (Again!!) and Two Cheeses

Sprouts grow best in warm, humid conditions.  Unfortunately, so do bacteria.  The result: the person who consumes these veggies in their raw state is risking food-borne illness.  The latest sprout recall is discussed below, along with two recalls associated with cheeses, one due to the discovery of pathogens in the cheese and the other due to plastic pieces in shredded cheese. 

Recent Recall on Sprouts

In Poisons on Our Plates, Michele Morrone discussed the 27 sprouts outbreaks that occurred from 1996 -2004, which caused 1,633 people to become ill. During this period, she said, sprouts accounted for about 40% of all food-borne illnesses that were caused by produce and 20% of the total number of food borne illnesses in the U.S.  In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported at least 30 outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with raw and lightly cooked sprouts. 

On January 19, 2012, LEASA Industries of Miami, Florida recalled 346 cases of LEASA Living Sprouts with a “use-by” date of 2/1/12 because of the potential of being contaminated with salmonella. For more information about this recall, click here.  These sprouts were distributed in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi through retail stores and food service companies.  No illnesses have been reported to date.

Although the LEASA recall involved only alfalfa sprouts, Win-Dixie Stores, Inc., “out of an abundance of caution,” has recalled all LEASA sprouts including these types: broccoli, onion, gourmet, and spicy. 

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.  I hope I’ve convinced you to forego eating raw sprouts. 

Cheese Recalls

Kradjian Imp Co (in Glendale California) has recalled 231 cases of Cedar Tree Brand Tresse Cheese and Cedar Tree Brand Shinglish Cheese because these have the potential to be contaminated with listeria. Both cheeses were distributed in California, Washington state, Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona, and Michigan to Mediterranean specialty markets.

These cheeses have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that 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 miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. 

For more information about this recall, click here. 

Price Chopper Supermarkets is issuing a voluntary recall on its Coyote Joes Shredded Taco Cheese 16 oz, with an expiration date of April 21, 2012 due to the possibility of shredded plastic fragments inside the packaging. The cheese was sold chain wide between the dates of January 4th and January 17th, 2012.

In addition to alerting the media, Price Chopper has initiated its Smart Reply notification program, which uses purchase data and consumer phone numbers on file in connection with the company’s AdvantEdge (loyalty) card to alert those households that may have purchased the product in question.

Customers can return the product to their local Price Chopper for a full refund. For more information, visit the pricechopper.com website or call Price Chopper at 1-800-666-7667, option 3 between the hours of 8:30 am and 7:00 pm.

Source(s):

Fda.gov  “Price Chopper Supermarkets Recalls Shredded Taco Cheese”
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm288588.htm?source=govdelivery

shellflifeadvice.com “Raw Sprouts: Nutritious and Dangerous”
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm288420.htm

Poisons on our Plates by Michelle Morrone, 2008.