Caramel apples linked to the 11-state Listeria outbreak were sold at Smith’s Food and Drug Stores in New Mexico, according to information contained in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a mother and her newborn baby who were both sickened.
According to the complaint, Cathy Jones was pregnant in October 2014 when she contracted a Listeria infection after eating a caramel apple purchased from a Smith’s store at 4016 Louisiana Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque. A few weeks later, sick with Listeria symptoms, she sought medical attention at Lovelace Hospital where she delivered her baby several months prematurely. The baby, who also had a Listeria infection, spent more than four weeks in a neo-natal intensive care unit.
New Mexico has five of the 32 cases associated with this outbreak. At least three of them were newborn babies who contracted Listeria infections while in utero.
Information on where potentially contaminated apples were sold and under what brand names has been slow to come out. Bidart Brothers has recalled all Gala and Granny Smith apples produced at its Shafter, Calif. plant during 2014. But little information has been made public on what brand names the apples were sold under and which store carried them. Happy Apples, California Snack Foods, and Merb’s Candies have issued recalls for caramel apples that were sold at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Safeway and Kroger stores. In Minnesota, Kitchen Cravings and Carnival brand apples were associated with the outbreak. They were sold at Kwik Trip, Mike’s Discount Foods and Cub Foods stores.
