Wegmans is releasing information about Wegmans Cleaned & Cut Kale Greens and prepared foods made with kale: they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. There are no illnesses reported in connection with the consumption of this product, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear. These times were sold between July 30 and August 12, 2015.
The statement on their web site says this is not a recall, since the best-by date on the product was August 10, 2015. The product is no longer in stores and should not be in consumers’ homes. But, since the illness caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can take so long to appear, they are notifying their customers.
The products are Wegmans bagged Cleaned & Cut Kale Greens in 16 ounce packages and Kale Blast Smoothie, both sold in the produce department. The items made with this kale that were sold in Prepared Foods department include Tuscan Roasted Squash and Kale, Garlicky Greens, Kale and Mushroom Casserole, Citrus Sesame Kale Salad, Hail Kale Caesar Salad, Kale Salad with Thai Peanut Sauce, Watermelon Kale Salad, MexiKale Salad, Tuscan Kale Salad, Tuscan Garbanzo Beans with Kale, Roast Pork with Garlic Greens and Cheese, Chicken French pre-packaged meal, Bronzed Tilapia pre-packaged meal, Vegetable pre-packaged meal, Cheese Lasagna pre-packaged meal, Salmon Florentine with Cauliflower and Garlicky Greens, Lemon Garlic Chicken Breast pre-packaged meal, Tilapia pre-packaged meal, and Kale-elujah Sushi Roll. Finally, Potato Crusted Salmon with Greens was made with this product; it was sold only in The Pub by Wegmans restaurants.
The symptoms of listeriosis include flu-like fever and muscle aches, upset stomach or diarrhea, stiff neck, headache, loss of balance, confusion, or convulsions. Pregnant women may only be mildly sick, but this illness can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and infection in the newborn baby.
Cooking will kill Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, but cross-contamination is always a concern. You may want to clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution if you had the kale or any products made with the kale in your kitchen, since the bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
If you ate any of these products and experienced the symptoms of listeriosis, see your doctor. The illness can be treated with antibiotics, and it’s best to get treatment at an early stage. Those in high risk groups, including young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems, should be especially vigilant.
