A Michigan-based lettuce company is recalling products due to concerns of potential contamination by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria known to cause serious and even fatal infections among vulnerable populations.
On April 5, Revolution Farms from Caledonia, Michigan, announced a voluntary recall of certain products packed between March 3 and March 11 owing to contamination concerns.
On April 6, the company expanded the recall to include all products under its brand, according to an announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall was initiated after the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development received a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random package of Revolution Farms Green Sweet Crisp 5 oz. that had a retail “Best By” date of April 2.
“The recalled product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the announcement said.
“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.”
Items affected by the recall include Buttery Bibb, Green Sweet Crisp, Michigan Spring Mix, Romaine Lettuce Boats, and Sesame Ginger Crunch, among others. A full list of the affected items as well as product photos was provided in the announcement.
The Infection
Listeria monocytogenes is usually transmitted to humans when food is harvested, packaged, and stored in environments where bacteria are present.Symptoms of the infection can include fever, vomiting, nausea, and muscle aches, and sometimes more severe symptoms such as convulsions and loss of balance, with ailments lasting anywhere from days to weeks.
About 1,600 individuals are infected with listeriosis in the United States every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most people will require hospital care, with about 1 in 5 deaths from the infection, per the federal agency.
Among pregnant women, listeriosis can result in fetal loss in about 20 percent of cases and newborn death in about 3 percent of cases. During pregnancy, the bacteria can spread to the fetus through the placenta.
According to the World Health Organization, pregnant women are 20 times more likely than healthy adults to contract listeriosis. People with HIV and AIDS are 300 times more likely to get the disease than individuals whose immune systems function normally.
Recent Recalls, Outbreaks
Multiple other recalls have been made in recent times due to concerns about the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. On April 7, Fresh Express Incorporated recalled a limited quantity of salad kits that were produced at the company’s facility in Morrow, Georgia. A sample test of a product had returned a positive result for the pathogen.According to data from the CDC, there were five investigations of multistate listeria outbreaks last year in which the CDC was the lead public health agency and the outbreak was foodborne.
One of the outbreaks was linked to ice creams, one to brie and camembert cheese, another to deli meat and cheese, a fourth to enoki mushrooms, and the final outbreak to an unknown source.
