Vegetable Recall Update As FDA Sets Top Risk Level

Wisconsin-based company Jack and the Green Sprouts, Inc., voluntarily recalled 5-ounce packages of its Alfalfa and Alfalfa Onion sprouts after routine testing found the products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

After initially being recalled earlier this month, the products have now been given a Class I risk classification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is the highest risk level and is issued when there is a “reasonable probability” that the use of, or exposure to, a product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” Listeria infections cause food poisoning, which can potentially be fatal for those in at-risk groups; newborns, pregnant people, adults over 65 and those with weakened immune systems.

The following products have been recalled:

Alfalfa:

• Lot number 048 and 777, with expiration dates ranging between September 18 and 25, 2024.
• Lot number 300, expiration date of October 9, 2024.
• Lot number 246, expiration date of October 11, 2024.

Alfalfa and Onion:

• Lot number 300, expiration date of October 9, 2024.

In total, 9,580 units are subject to the recall. These were distributed to grocery stores across Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin, and anyone who has purchased 5-ounce packages of Alfalfa and Alfalfa Onion sprouts are urged to discard it or return to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Symptoms of listeria can begin in the days and weeks following infection. Those with a less serious illness can expect a fever, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

However, if a more serious infection occurs, it can result in symptoms such as headaches, a stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion and convulsions. There can be complications, and some listeria infections must be treated in the hospital.

“Listeria is particularly dangerous as it can survive in refrigerators and freezers, and infected foods may not look, smell or taste different,” Michelle Anstey, a food safety expert from NSF, a public health and safety organization, told Newsweek. “When contaminated food is handled, illness can spread through human touch and lack of sanitation.

“These foodborne illnesses are dangerous in that they can have severe health impacts on people, including vomiting, diarrhea, fever and, in severe cases, brain infections and blood infections,” Anstey said. “They can be especially dangerous for those who are immunocompromised, including pregnant women, children and older adults.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that about 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis every year, resulting in around 260 deaths. A recent outbreak caused by products made by Virginia-based manufacturer Boar’s Head has killed 10 people, according to the latest CDC update on September 25.