Fresh from Texas of San Antonio is recalling multiple products containing sliced red apples because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The product was sold by H-E-B stores in Texas. No illnesses have been reported to date, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear.
You can see the long list of products recalled at the FDA web site, along with pictures of the recalled products. UPC numbers, the best by dates, and types of packaging are listed at that site as well. The recalled products include H-E-B Ready Fresh Go Sliced Red Apples, the same product with caramel dip, Value Pack Sliced Apples, Fruit Party Tray, Deluxe Fruit Tray, H-E-B Ready Fresh Go Fresh Fruit Medley, Fruit & Veg Combo Tray, H-E-B Ready Fresh Go Carrots, Apples with Yogurt Pretzels and Ranch Dip, and several others. All in all, fourteen different products are recalled.
Internal company testing found the presence of Listeria bacteria in two random samples of the same product. If you purchased any of these products from H-E-B, do not eat them. Throw them away in a sealed or double bagged container so other people and animals can’t eat them, or return them to the store where you bought them for a full refund. Then clean out your refrigerator or anyplace the product was stored with a solution of one tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach to one gallon of warm water. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
If you ate any of these recalled products, monitor yourself for the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning for the next 70 days. Those symptoms include flu-like fever and muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, headache, and loss of balance. Pregnant women can suffer miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and infection in the newborn baby even if their symptoms are very mild. If you ate any of the recalled products and have experienced these symptoms, see your doctor.
HOW DO THIS PRODUCTS GET CONTAMINATED IN THE FIRST PLACE?
The apples could have become contaminated in the orchard, while they were being picked, or while they were processed. Processing facilities, especially those that use a lot of water, can become contaminated with Listeria bacteria. And when that bacteria gains a foothold in the facility, it can be very difficult to eradicate.