When you head to the grocery store, you expect the items you pick up and pay for to be good quality—and, of course, safe to eat. But unfortunately, recalls do occur when safety or contamination concerns pose a threat. While they're a regular occurrence, lately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have issued new warnings about larger recalls, including one that affects 12 million pounds of meat. Read on to find out which recalls the aagencies are alerting the public to.
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1. Ready-To-Eat meat and poultry products
USDA FSIS
This month, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that BrucePac is recalling 11,765,285 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The products were manufactured between May 31 and Oct. 9 and distributed across the U.S. to restaurants, schools, and institutions, the FSIS' notice reads. The recall first applied to 9,986,245 pounds of meat but was expanded to include products that were distributed to schools.
On Oct. 10, a list of product and label information was published, noting that affected items were sold at several popular retailers, including Trader Joe's, Walmart, Wegman's, Giant Eagle, Costco, and Kroger. Specific products include salads from Target's Good & Gather brand, frozen pasta dishes from Walmart's Great Value brand, and premade frozen meals from Costco, among others. A separate notice from the FDA adds that different varieties of Dakota Toma's cheeseburgers were also pulled, as BrucePac is an ingredient supplier.
The FSIS published a preliminary list of schools that received recalled meat and poultry as well. According to the latest list, affected schools are located in Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Florida, Delaware, Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
The issue was identified thanks to routine testing of RTE poultry products from BrucePac, which tested positive for Listeria. According to the FSIS, Listeria can cause symptoms like "fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms." The infection is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
The product recall includes a full list of affected products, lot codes, best-by dates, and other identifying information. As of the latest update, there were no confirmed illnesses related to the recall, but the FSIS instructed anyone with concerns to contact their healthcare provider.
2. Frozen waffles
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Breakfast products are also affected by a recent recall, per Oct. 18 announcements from TreeHouse Foods and the FDA. According to the company and the health agency, TreeHouse is recalling several brands and varieties of frozen waffles sold at Walmart, Target, and Kroger due to potential contamination with Listeria.
Like the meat and poultry recall, the issue was identified "through routine testing at the manufacturing facility." Affected waffle products include those from the popular Kodiak Cakes brand, as well as those sold under the Great Value (Walmart) and Good & Gather (Target) brands and in-house brands for Food Lion, Harris Teeter, and Kroger. TreeHouse Foods' press release includes a complete list of affected products and brand names.
No illnesses have been reported and connected back to the recall, but the company and the FDA recommend contacting your doctor with questions.
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3. Green onions
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Green onions from Church Brothers, LLC, were also recalled on Oct. 18. Per a notice from the FDA, the company is voluntarily pulling 1,271 cases of green onions—some of which were distributed to Trader Joe's—due to potential Salmonella contamination.
The notice states that the onions were sent to "a small number" of retail and food-service customers in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia, as well as Canada. The issue was discovered when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested a single product and detected the presence of Salmonella.
According to the FDA, Salmonella can cause serious or fatal infections in small children, older or frail adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of infection typically include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
4. Mushrooms
U.S. FDA
Packages of Enoki mushrooms round out the list of concerning food products. The recall—which is being voluntarily conducted by Enoki King Mushroom Farm of Ventura, California—was announced on Oct. 11 and was again prompted by Listeria concerns.
Approximately 4,877 packages of the mushrooms were distributed nationwide after "routine testing" by the Maryland State Department of Health found the presence of Listeria in a 5.3-ounce package of the fungi, the FDA said.
