Listeria in bean sprouts has prompted two recalls so far this year, one from Go Hang brand sprouts, the other from Jack and the Beanstalk brand. Consumers who have purchased either of these brands should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious illness. At the time of the recall, no illnesses had been reported, but Listeria infections can take up to 70 days to appear.
Recalled Jack and the Beanstalk soybean sprouts were distributed to Bay Area stores and restaurants in 1 pound bags with the bar code 7-27580-12366-9; 1.5 pound bags with the bar code 7-27580-12365-2, and 10 pound bags with the bar code 7-27580-12351-5. NATTO soybean sprouts with the bar code 7-27580-12367-6 are also part of this recall.
The recalled items are Go-Hang Soybean sprouts were distributed inK O-MART in Dallas and H-MART in Plano and Carrollton, Texas. They were sold in 1 -pound bags with the bar code 4205312100 and 2 pound bags with bar code 42053-13650 from January 30 through February 6, 2015.
Tests performed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on finished product from both companies were positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Symptoms of a Listeria infection include fever, muscle aches, headache, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Among pregnant women, a Listeria infection can trigger miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery and Listeria meningitis in newborns. Anyone who has eaten these sprouts and develops symptoms should see a doctor immediately and mention exposure to Listeria.
In November 2014, FDA officials found Listeria in finished product samples during routine testing of sprouts at Wholesome Soy Products in Chicago. Those sprouts were later linked to an outbreak that killed two people and hospitalized three others.
