Fresh Express Inc. is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of expired 10 oz. Hearts of Romaine salad with the expired Use-By Date of August 23, 2012 and a Product Code beginning with “G222” due to a possible risk of Listeria monocytogenes.
This precautionary recall comes after a random sampling test by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found a single package of lettuce tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, according to the company.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause foodborne illness in a person who eats a food item contaminated with it. Symptoms of infection may include fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. It if spreads to the nervous system, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck or confusion.
There have been no illnesses reported in association with the recall. No other Fresh Express products are being recalled, the company said in a news release.
The recalled bags have already expired (they have a Use-by-Date of August 23). Recalled bags feature a product code starting with G222 and a UPC code of 712 79 26102 below the barcode, according to the company.
Affected packages may have been distributed to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Fresh Express customer service representatives are already contacting retailers to confirm the product was removed from their inventories and store shelves in accordance with standard procedures for products that have reached their expiration date.
In the unlikely event that consumers may still have this expired product in their refrigerator, it should not be consumed, but discarded instead.
For more information, contact a Gacovino & Lake attorney at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
