Chang Farm has issued a voluntary recall of some of its Bean and Soy Sprouts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced. Chang Farm of River Road, Whatley, Massachusetts, issued the recall, with specific expired date codes, because of the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. Monocytogenes) contamination.
The affected product is packaged in 10-pound bags (bulk) and 12-ounce plastic bags (retail), labeled under the Chang Farm Brand as Soy Sprouts and have a “Sell By” date of May 23, 2009 or May 24, 2009 and Bean Sprouts with “Use By” date of May 23, 2009 or May 24, 2009. The product has been distributed to retail stores and restaurants throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.
The FDA said the contamination was discovered after a sample was secured at a retail store in New York that tested positive for L. monocytogenes. All grocery stores, food services, and other retailers who have this lot in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey should remove this product from their shelves. Consumers should discard this product or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. The FDA is advising consumers to contact their healthcare provider with any illness concerns and contact Chang Farm at 1-413-665-3341 with questions about the warning.
Listeriosis, the food poisoning generated by Listeria monocytogenes, is particularly dangerous to the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, those with chronic medical conditions, people with HIV, or those undergoing chemotherapy. In serious cases, the disease spreads to the nervous system, causing headaches, stiff neck, and convulsions. Listeriosis can also cause meningitis and blood poisoning in immune-compromised individuals.
In pregnant women, Listeriosis can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth of a baby suffering from the infection. Pregnant women are about 20 times likelier than others to be infected, with about one-third of all Listeriosis cases occurring during pregnancy; the incidence of Listeriosis in newborns is 8.6 per 100,000 live births and the perinatal and neonatal mortality rate (stillbirths and early infant deaths) is a massive 80 percent.
Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for an estimated 2,500 illnesses in the United States annually, with about 200 in every 1,000 cases resulting in death. Listeriosis can take days, even weeks, to develop and can present in anything from a mild flu-like illness to meningitis and septicemia.
News of Listeria contamination is becoming more prevalent. We recently wrote about an alfalfa sprout recall over possible Listeria contamination involving Amalgamated Produce, Inc.’s (API), Specialty Farms, Vermont Sprout House, Nature’s Promise, and BroccoSprouts products. That recall was extended to include certain types of Specialty Farms Organic Crunchy Sprouts or Organic Crunchy Pea Mix. We also wrote about Listeria contamination in Strubs Norwegian Style Steelhead Salmon, and a Peregrina Cheese Corporation’s Queso Fresco cheese recall that was the third in a series of recalls by Peregrina Cheese, all due to possible Listeria contamination. We also wrote about another in a series of Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese recalls over concerns of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes pathogen.
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