Guacamole and salsa are two food items to be on the lookout for. There's been a slow but sure listeria outbreak that's affected everything from vegetables to deli lunch meat. Per the Food and Drug Administration's official website, Supreme Service Solutions LLC (Kroger) issued a voluntary recall. This includes pre-cut vegetable products and dips sold at Kroger grocery stores. As of now, the recall only affects the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. (But of course, be on the lookout for further developments regarding your state.)
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All affected products are "packaged in clear-plastic grab-n-go containers of various sizes with the appearance of cut produce." The above FDA link has a "master list," but the more notable products include "Butternut Squash Cubes 12 oz," "Chopped Cilantro 2 oz," "Chopped Cilantro W/ White Onions 5 oz," "Diced Jalapeno 7 oz," "Diced Pepper Tri-Blend 7 oz," "Diced Pepper W/ White Onions 7 oz," "Fajita Mix Hot 11 oz," and "Grilling Vegetables 19 oz."
According to the FDA, "The potential contamination was discovered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) through routine sampling." Fortunately, there have been no illnesses or consumer complaints reported to date. However, it never hurts to be careful.
If you have any of the affected products, dispose of them or return them to their store of origin.
Guacamole And Salsa Are Next In The Ongoing Listeria Outbreak
For those who may not be familiar with listeria or the recent minor outbreaks, let me catch you up to speed. Effectively, it's severe food poisoning. Below are handy bullet points you can also find on the CDC's website!
- Listeria can cause severe illness (known as invasive listeriosis) when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body.
- Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or [life-threatening] infection of the newborn.
- People who are not pregnant may experience [headaches], stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
- Symptoms of severe illness usually start 1 to 4 weeks after eating contaminated food with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.
