Recently there has been a spate of nut butter recalls for Listeria monocytogenes. These products usually have a very long shelf life, so there’s a good chance that some of these products are in pantries around the country. There is zero tolerance for Listeria contamination in ready to eat products because the bacteria cause such serious illness, and because the consumer doesn’t heat the product, which would kill the pathogens, before eating.
No illnesses have been reported in any of these recalls. These are the recalls that have been issued since December 2018:
- Inspired Organics recalled their Organic Sunflower Butter for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination on December 11, 2018. Testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found the pathogen in the product. The product was shipped starting on April 17, 2018. The UPC number is 863669742526. It was sold in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.
- Inspired Organics recalled their Organic Almond Butter on December 17, 2018, for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The UPC number on that product is 863669742540. It was sold ion retail stores in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
- Inspired Organics recalled their Organic Almond, Peanut, and Tahini Butters, again for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, on December 20, 2018. These products were sold in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.
- Oskri Organics Corporation recalled their Oskri Organic Sunflower Butter (Lot 099), Oskri Tahini Butter (Lot 193), and Thrive Sunflower Butter (Lot 233) on January 2, 2019 for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
- Thrive Market recalled all unexpired lots of Thrive Market-branded nut butters for possible contamination on January 24, 2019. That includes Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Sesame Tahini, Cashew Butter, Coconut Butter, and Sunflower Butter.
- And finally, Oskri Organics recalled all of their nut butters on January 28, 2019. The recall notice stated that “this recall has been initiated due to positive test results for Listeria monocytogenes found in multiple Oskri Corporation manufactured nut butters.” All of the butters with best by dates of June 2020 and earlier are recalled.
It’s a good idea to check your pantry to see if you have any of these recalled items. If you do, throw them out, then clean the pantry with a mild bleach solution, and wash your hands.
If you ate any of these recalled products, watch yourself for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. That’s how long it can take for the symptoms to appear. If you develop a severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, nausea, or diarrhea, see your doctor.
