On Thursday, December 23, the CDC confirmed that it was investigating reports of listeria infections that spanned across eight states. The outbreak is linked to packaged salads from two different companies. The CDC has confirmed Texas to be one of those states. As a result of the outbreak, ten people have been hospitalized, and one person has died.
One of the facilities associated with the outbreak is owned by Dole, who issued a recall for the affected productions. The salads that are contaminated all have best-by dates between November 20, 2021, and January 8, 2022, and product codes beginning with “n” or “y”. You can find a complete list of the products that were affected here.
The other facility associated with the outbreak is owned by Fresh Express. They are also recalling their affected items, emphasizing products with codes 324 through Z350 regardless of the best-by dates.
Fresh Express, Bowl & Basket, Giant Eagle, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, O Organics, Signature Farms, Simple Nature, Weis Fresh from the Field, and Wellsley Farms Organic are among brands by the recall.
The CDC has stated that you should not serve any affected products and throw them away immediately. They also mentioned that people will need to clean their refrigerator or any surface that the food has touched. You can read the CDC’s five steps that will help you get rid of bacteria here.
Listeria is a form of bacterial food poisoning that can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If listeria spreads beyond the gut, it can cause severe infections, leading to fevers, convulsions, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, and confusion. It can also cause serious illness or death in fetuses and newborns, so listeria is especially dangerous to pregnant women.
Symptoms of listeria can start as fast as the same day or up to 70 days after but typically begins between one and four weeks. If anyone is experiencing symptoms of listeria, they should immediately call their doctor or Texas Department of State Health Services for advice on the matter.