FDA: Almond Butter and Other Nut Butters Recalled Over Listeria

Wakefern Food Corp. has announced the voluntary recall of five types of nut butters because they might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause the potentially fatal listeriosis.

All of the nut butters were sold under the Wholesome Pantry Organic brand, and they were distributed in ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, and Dearborn Market stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Virginia, according to an alert posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 28.

The products are as follows:

Wholesome Pantry Organic Creamy Salted Almond Butter UPC: 04119006004 Wholesome Pantry Organic Creamy Unsalted Almond Butter UPC: 04119006005 Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsalted Sunflower Butter UPC: 04119005827 Wholesome Pantry Organic Tahini Butter UPC: 04119005828 Wholesome Pantry Organic Cashew Butter UPC: 04119006006

No varieties of peanut butter were included in the recall.

The products were packed in 16-ounce plastic jars, and they all have best-by dates of June 2020 or earlier.

No illnesses have been reported.

One of the Wholesome Pantry products under recall. (FDA)

One of the Wholesome Pantry products under recall. (FDA)

One of the Wholesome Pantry products under recall. (FDA)

According to the FDA’s notice, “Wakefern was made aware of the issue when their supplier, Oskri Organics Corporation of Lake Mills, WI, notified them that several nut butters produced in their facility had tested positive for Listeria bacteria. Though no Wholesome Pantry Organic nut butters tested positive for the bacteria, a voluntary recall was initiated out of an abundance of caution.”

The notice said that customers were told about the recall via in-store signs, website announcements, email messages, and phone calls.

Consumers who have the products should return them for a refund or replacement, the FDA said.

Consumers with questions can call Customer Care at 1-800-746-7748 Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Listeria

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria can be fatal, and the individuals who are particularly at risk of the bacteria are children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

“You should seek medical care and tell the doctor about eating possibly contaminated food if you have a fever and other symptoms of possible listeriosis, such as fatigue and muscle aches, within two months after eating possibly contaminated food,” the CDC says on its website.

“This is especially important if you are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system,” the agency also warned.

Symptoms of listeriosis include a headache, high fever, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Shelves are bare and signs are posted where Blue Bell products were displayed in a grocery store on April 21 in Overland Park, Kansas. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Avocado Recall

Recently, a California-based firm said it was recalling California-grown avocados over possible listeria contamination.

In a news release on March 24 on the FDA website, the Henry Avocado Corporation said it was recalling the product as a precaution after tests for Listeria monocytogenes came back positive.

The tests were done as part of a routine government inspection at its packing facility in California, the company said.

“We are voluntarily recalling our products and taking every action possible to ensure the safety of consumers who eat our avocados,” said Phil Henry, the president of Henry Avocado.