An HMC Farms peaches Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened eleven people, accordion to the FDA. The peaches, along with the company’s plums and nectarines, are being voluntarily recalled. The recalling firm is HMC Group Marketing Inc. doing business as HMC Farms.
The fruit was sold in retail stores between May 1, 2022 and November 15, 2022, and between May 1, 2023 and November 15, 2023. The fruit was sold nationwide as individual pieces of fruit with PLU stickers, or in consumer packaging, mostly 2 pound plastic bags. Some of the PLU numbers on the individual fruit are 4401, 4044, 4036, 4038, 4378, 3035, 4042, and 4040. The recall is for yellow and white peaches, yellow and white nectarines, and red and black plums.
The recall is for conventionally grown fruit; no organic fruit is included in this recall. You can see pictures of the recalled products, including the PLU stickers and the consumer packaging, at the FDA web site. The fruits that are currently available for sale at retail stores are not included in this recall.
It’s important to note that although none of this potentially contaminated fruit is available for purchase at this time, some consumers may have frozen the fruit. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can survive freezing temperatures, so those fruit are still a health risk and are not safe to eat.
At this time we do not know where patients live, the patient age range, or illness onset dates. Hopefully the FDA and CDC will release information about this outbreak soon.
If you bought any of this fruit, do not eat it even if you have frozen it. You can throw it away in a secure trash can, or take it back to the place of purchase for a refund. Clean your refrigerator and freezer with a mild bleach solution after you discard the fruit, and wash your hands well with soap and water.
If you ate this fruit, monitor your health for the symptoms of listeriosis, which can take as long as 70 days to manifest. First symptoms of this illness can include nausea and diarrhea. If the illness progresses to the more serious form when the bacteria enter the bloodstream, patients will experience high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, and muscle aches. This is serious and can be a fatal infection, especially in those people who are at higher risk for complications from food poisoning. This infection can cause miscarriage and stillbirth among pregnant women.
If you ate these recalled peaches and have been sick with the symptoms of listeriosis, see your doctor. You may be part of this HMC Farms peaches Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning infection after eating HMC Farms peaches, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
