By Cole Petrochko, Associate Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: September 30, 2011
Produce seller True Leaf Farms has recalled 2,498 cartons of chopped and bagged romaine lettuce because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
A random sample of romaine lettuce taken by the FDA tested positive for the bacteria.
The lettuce was shipped on Sept. 12 and 13 by an Oregon distributor to at least two other states -- Washington and Idaho -- for direct consumer purchase, a statement from the company said.
Cartons were also shipped to wholesalers in 19 states -- Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vermont -- and Alberta, Canada.
The affected produce has a "use by date" of Sept. 29 and a bag and the product available for direct consumer purchase had a box code of B256-46438-8.
Church Brothers -- the company that distributed the affected produce -- has posted sample images of the potentially tainted lettuce's packaging on its website.
Listeria can cause potentially fatal infections, particularly in immunocompromised or older patients. The bacteria has also been known to cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
The same pathogen is also responsible for a multi-state listeriosis outbreak caused by affected cantaloupe from a Colorado grower that has sickened 72 and killed 13.
From: http://ping.fm/kRva9
Time to grow our own veggies! Then WE can control our own harvesting and packaging.
ReplyDeleteWhy do they wait until one day AFTER the "use by" has expired to notify people? Wouldn't most of the lettuce already have been eaten, or in the trash?
ReplyDeleteFilth is all over the country.
ReplyDeleteRotten fruits and vegetables should be discarded right away and not a week later.
I am curious as to why so many different kinds of produce from so many areas are infected with this kind of bacteria?
ReplyDeleteIt must be the soil, water or fertilizer-a lot of flooding and fires recently.
Just remember, who it is that is in charge of the FDA!!! An appointed Czar!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood grief...this is getting really scary.
ReplyDeleteI´m starting my own vegetable garden this weekend!
Government is so useless!
ReplyDeleteAnd there is a move afoot in this nation to cut back on FDA inspections and regulations! Hope your insurance is paid up and you can afford sick days at work. Keep an eye on granny and the kids, food borne illness usually attacks the elderly and young the hardest. But go ahead and cut those budgets.
ReplyDelete