Wawona Packing Company of Cutler, Calif, is recalling certain lots of whole peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots for potential contamination with Listeria monocytognes. The fruits were sold at a number of stores including Costco, Sam’s Club and Trader Joe’s. No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall, but consumers who have purchased these fruits should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious illness and death.
Young children, seniors, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems are most at risk for Listeria infection. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea Among pregnant women, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths .
Wawona has notified its business customers and requested that they remove the recalled products from commerce. The recall was initiated because of internal test results. The implicated packing lines were shut down and sanitized, equipment was retrofitted. Subsequent daily tests have been negative for Listeria.
The recalled fruit was packed between June 1, 2014 through July 12, 2014 and shipped directly to retailers and wholesalers who resell the products. To view photos and product labels of the recalled products, click here.
Good morning. If I didn’t receive a letter from Sams, but bought the fruit, do I still need to dispose of it? Also, do I need to dispose of the jars I used to can the fruit? Thank you, Kellie Vickerman
I would get rid of the fruit. I’m not sure about the jars used to can the fruit – call someone from your state’s University Extension service and ask.
Received letter from Sams yesterday, saying to bring the peaches and plums back to Sams. Didn’t have my receipt and got reimbursed for them. And I only had 3 peaches left and 8 plums.
Hi. Unfortunately I purchased peaches at Sam’s Club and my husband and I have already eaten them. We will keep watch for the next 70 days. Our local Giant has a sign up saying their peaches are not from Wawona. I noticed the price at Giant is jumping from $1.99 a pound to $2.49 a pound starting Sunday. Do you know if Sam’s Club or Trader Joe’s is able to sell peaches again? I tried calling Sam’s Club but was put on hold forever. Thanks for any information you can give on when it is/will be safe to purchase peaches from Sam’s Club or Trader Joe’s again as the prices at Giant are a complete rip off, obviously taking advantage of the situation. Thanks again
I think it’s safe to buy that fruit now. It’s too bad those prices are going up. They shouldn’t be doing that, but then again, produce prices usually fluctuate wildly, especially if a lot of the product has been pulled off the shelves. Ask when you shop; the produce manager should be able to tell you if the stone fruit is safe.
I just bought peaches at walmart yesterday july24th, should i throw them out?
Call the store and ask if the peaches you purchased were part of the recall. I don’t think they were, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If peaches were purchased at costco on july 20th are they safe? is the recall specific to fruits bought before then?
If I were you I would throw out stone fruits bought in the month of July. That is an inexpensive cost relative to the cost (financially, emotionally, and physically) of getting sick. The recall is expanding by the day, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Can you tell me more about the simple test for Listeria? My daughters and I experienced weakness, headache, diarrhea, and jaw stiffness and pain a few days after eating nectarines. I thought it was a summer virus until receiving the email today that I bought the affected nectarines. But the doctor at urgent care said I’d have to go to the ER and get a spinal tap to find out if I was affected.
I believe there is a blood test; ask your doctor about that. Here’s a page from the Mayo Clinic you can show your doctor: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/listeria-infection/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20031039
Thanks, I appreciate that.
By all means, go to the doctor. We are still under the doctors care with diahreah, dizziness and upset stomach.
Thank you!
You’re welcome.
Were these the only stores these peaches were sold at? I bought some peaches from my local Oklahoma grocery chain (Reasors). How do I know if they are okay? I am 9 months pregnant.
It seems that the fruit was sold at more stores. We’re posting a story today about other stores that have issued recalls. Call your store and ask if they got any of the peaches. And unfortunately there is no way to tell if the fruit is contaminated. Pathogenic bacteria do not make food taste, smell, or look spoiled.
We have made most of the peaches we purchased into Jam. Does the canning process kill the listeria bacteria?
Cooking temperatures do kill Listeria and other pathogenic bacteria, but I’m not 100% sure about this. Contact an extension agent for the best answer. It is possible that you ingested some bacteria while working with the fruit, or it’s possible surfaces became contaminated with the bacteria in the kitchen. So please clean your kitchen surfaces with a mild bleach solution and monitor yourself and your family for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days.
Do you have a phone # for an extension agent I can contact for best possible answer? When you say contact an extension agent, to which agency are you referring? CDC? USDA? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
There are extension agents that specialize in food safety at every University in almost every state. The USDA has a map that lists all of the extension system offices in the country.
I bought 6 cases of peaches and canned all but one! I did 35 quarts and 32 pints over two days! Heartwrenching, after all that work! All the numbers on my cases matched on the recall list. I called the Extension Office in my county who referred me with a number to the U of M. That person did some homework and called me back stating the peaches need to be thrown out! After all that work now we need to open all those jars and dump them. They would not say 100% that they were safe. I can’t take the chance even though I pressure canned at 6lbs, for 10 min. as required by my pressure canning cookbook. Just sick! If someone knows better I would like to hear from you.
I agree with the Extension people. I did think that cooked peaches would be safe, but not when Whole Foods recalled cooked items with the recalled fruit in them. And make sure you wash down your kitchen with a mild bleach solution. Odds are you’ll be fine, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. The lost money from the peaches pales in comparison to getting sick. And thanks so much for letting us know about this!
Does the recall effect peaches and nectarines purchased at Walmart? I have not seen Walmart listed but I know they are under the same umbrella as Sam’s Club.
We don’t know yet; this story is expanding hourly.
I kept my peaches in a bowl on my dining room table with several other fruits. I’ve thrown the peaches away. Now what should I do?
Wash the bowl along with your table with a mild bleach solution. Also be sure to wash kitchen counters, door knobs, and cupboard and drawer handles.
Do I need to throw the other fruit away?
Throw away any fruit that has been recalled. I myself would throw away any fruit that touched the recalled fruit. And make sure you wash any surface that may have come into contact with the fruit, including refrigerator shelves, door and cupboard handles, and countertops with a mild bleach solution to kill any bacteria.
I just called Sam’s club where we bought peaches and they told me to bring the peaches back. Really I don’t want to be lugging around bad peaches. Isn’t it easier just to take the receipt back and throw out the peaches?
I agree; try doing that. And make sure you sanitize your kitchen with a mild bleach solution after you get rid of the peaches.
For over a month My 19 year old has been eating about two bags of nectarines a week from SAMS club. How concerned should I be?
Watch your child for the symptoms of listeriosis and go see the doctor if any flu-like symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, or muscle aches appear.
Also who pays for our doctor visits for this???
Is there a simple test that can be done for Listeria? My whole family has consumed these peaches/nectarines.
Yes there is; please see your doctor.
8 49315 00029 Is this one of the UPC numbers White nectarines item # 303963 Bought at Sams Thanks Gayle Moore
I bought some plums on July 5. I gave some to a cousin in IL. What should I do?
First of all, don’t panic. You and your cousin should monitor yourselves for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next two months. If you do get sick with flu-like symptoms, see your doctor.
OK. THANKS,
How do we deal with the peaches—just discard them at home? And do we need to sanitize the area in which they are stored (e.g. fridge, cabinet..etc)? Thanks so much
Yes, discard them, but put them in a sealed container so animals can’t get at them. And you should disinfect the fridge or cabinet with a mild bleach solution. Listeria bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
This fresh fruit has already been consumed. Also made peach jam out of the peaches. Should the cooked jam be thrown away?
Not sure about the jam; ask your doctor for advice. [On edit] Whole Foods is recalling peach jam they made from the recalled fruit. To me that’s an indication that they aren’t confident that the jam is safe. It’s better to throw it out, in my opinion. And monitor yourself and your family for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days.
Was this produce sent to ALL of the Costco’s in the US? Or just the west coast…east coast… mid west…southern states??
We are not sure at this point, but I would treat any of the fruit bought at any of those stores throughout the country as if they were contaminated. Throw them away or return to the store for a refund. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after you handle them, then clean out your fridge, counters, etc. with a mild bleach solution to kill any bacteria. Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, so it’s important to kill the bacteria.
I’m dealing out because my family have already ate the peaches should I be worried
Monitor yourself and your family for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. It is treatable, but a doctor’s care is necessary.
It’s nice to get this recall notice after the fresh fruit has already been consumed.. With the dats of being packed June 1 to July 12. And it being July 21 already, it would be really hard to return the product.. Thank goodness no reports of sickness .
We bought the peaches and plums when we were on vacation at Virginia beach. My family did eat them and my youngest son did get sick had a fever 102 chills and bad headache for 2 days we thought it was just a virus. He is fine now do I still need to take him to the Dr for tests or anything since he is feeling ok now.
Please contact your doctor about this issue; he or she is the best judge of what is best for your son.
What do you do if you already consumed them! How long after eating would you feel ill? Thanks.
It can take up to 70 days for listeriosis symptoms to become apparent, but people can get sick within a few days.
I ate one on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday this past week. My mom ate the other one I had. Monday evening I had terrible diarrhea, headache, and even told my boyfriend that my leg felt like I had been running a lot. I went to the bathroom several times. Finally Tuesday evening I felt better but still have headache tonight. Is this something to worry about?
Please contact your doctor about this. It’s important to remember that unless you’re pregnant, elderly, or in a high risk group (suppressed immune system, chronic illness) you will most likely recover from a Listeria infection. A serious infection is rare. But it’s no fun to worry about it either; call your doctor.
I purchased those nectarines on 7/5 or 7/6.
I received a call today, 7/21 to return the fruits to Costco because of possible contamination by listeria.
Who keeps fresh fruits for 2-3 weeks in the house?
Is this recall notice responsible?
We don’t know why it took so long for the recall to be issued. Please monitor yourself and your family for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days; that’s unfortunately how long it can take for the illness to manifest. Those symptoms include flu-like fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, upset stomach, headache, and stiff neck. It’s very important to get medical care if you do have this infection.