The Kroger chain of grocery stores announced Tuesday that is has issued a voluntary recall of bagged spinach on fears of Listeria contamination.
The recall affects the 10 ounce bagged spinach Fresh Selections Tender Spinach, with a “best if used by” date of September 16th. This recall affects stores in 15 states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. In addition to Kroger’s, stores in the chain that are affected by the recall include: Jay C., Owen’s, Pay Less, Scott’s, Food 4 Less, Dillons, Baker’s and Gerbes stores. Stores under these names operate in Indiana, Illinois and eastern Missouri.
The recall was initiated after testing revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. If eaten, the pathogen can lead to severe illness. Healthy people who ingest the bacteria may not become sick, but the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are especially at risk. Symptoms of infection, known as listeriosis, include fever and muscle aches, often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea or diarrhea.
A spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Wednesday that the department was investigating a death linked to Listeria and a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health said that the same strain had contributed to the death of a woman in her 80s.
A couple of weeks ago, Dole recalled a bagged salad produced by Dole Fresh Vegetables. The company voluntarily recalled more than 1,000 cases of its Dole Italian Blend bagged salad due to fears of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The specific product affected by the recall was 10-ounce bags of Dole Italian Blend with “use by date” of August 20th. The product was distributed in 8 states: Alabama, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.
The recall was issued after a sample of the Italian Blend salad tested positive for Listeria in a random sample test conducted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Dole states that it is working closely with regulatory officials and no illnesses related to consumption of the product have been reported.
Just last week, we reported about an ongoing multi-state Listeria outbreak due to contaminated ricotta salata cheese. Approximately 4,800 pounds of the cheese were distributed to Whole Foods Markets after its supplier Forever Cheese voluntarily recalled the contaminated product on September 10th. All 15 victims who consumed the cheese were hospitalized throughout 12 states.
We will keep you informed of the status of these, as well as any new, recalls.
You can contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
