At least two illnesses have been linked to recalled sunflower seed products, according a recall by First Source of Tonawanda, NY. The First Source recall expansion was triggered by a Listeria recall from its sunflower seed supplier, SunOpta which has not posted information about illnesses on its website.
The recalled sunflower seeds and snack mix products were sold under a variety of brand names including Alpine Valley, Earth Fare, Flave, Gonzo, Foodhols, SSP, Stewarts, Tops and Wegmans. They were sold between June 4, 2015 and May 31, 2016 at retail stores in the following states: IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV & SC.
Consumers who have purchased this type of product from these stores should check product recall information carefully by clicking the preceding link. Consumers who have purchased these products should not eat them Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.
Those most at risk are young children, seniors and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of an infection can take as long as 70 days to develop and include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Among pregnant women, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
Consumers who have purchased and eaten the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms. Health officials have not yet released information about the two illnesses that have been reported.
