Recall on Walmart Produce Now Covers 20 States

A company which sells vegetables in Walmart stores issued a voluntary recall of certain broccoli packages sold at the ubiquitous retail chain.

The recall issued by Braga Fresh on Friday and published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday will impact “a single production lot of washed and ready-to-eat 12oz Marketside Broccoli Florets with best if used by date Dec 10, 2024,” per a release from the agency.

The broccoli may be contaminated with listeria, as revealed in random sampling conducted by Texas Health and Human Services which found a potential for the bacterial contamination.

“This product is past its best if used by date and is no longer in stores, but consumers may have frozen the item for later use,” the FDA warned.

“Consumers who have this product in their freezers should not consume and discard the product,” the agency continued.

The recall will impact 20 states into which the broccoli packages were distributed, such as California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and Washington.

The product can be identified with the UPC code “6 81131 32884 5” and the lot code “BFFG327A6.”

There have not yet been any illnesses reported with respect to the broccoli florets.

The FDA stated that listeria can cause infections in certain segments of the population, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

“Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the release said.

Of particular concern, listeria can also hit the most vulnerable: “Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”

The announcement of the Braga Fresh recall comes months after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated an outbreak of listeria that left nine dead and dozens infected across the country.

The agency traced the outbreak to liverwurst made at a Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia.

Boar’s Head announced in September that “our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst.”

The company therefore “decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst” as they faced several lawsuits over the contamination.

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials similarly issued a nationwide recall of certain meat and poultry products in October over concerns about listeria.

That move impacted almost 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meals in schools, restaurants, and retailers.

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