Fruit, potatoes recalled in several states after possible contamination at NC warehouse
Bags of fruits and vegetables packaged at a warehouse near Charlotte, North Carolina, have been recalled over a possible Listeria contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Various brands of Valencia Oranges, lemons, limes, organic limes, and red potatoes were affected.
“The recall was voluntarily initiated after the company’s routine internal testing identified Listeria monocytogenes on a piece of equipment in one of our packing facilities,” Freshouse, which packaged the goods, said in a news release Sunday. “We have ceased the production and distribution of the product that was packed on the equipment in question and are taking corrective actions and continually evaluating our cleaning and sanitation regimes.”
Freshouse is a refrigerated warehouse in Salisbury — about 45 minutes north of Charlotte — that packages and distributes fruits and vegetables, according to its website.
Listeria is an infection commonly caused by contaminated food that affects “pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems,” according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can be fatal in some cases and cause miscarriages and stillbirths for pregnant woman, the FDA says.
“Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea,” the recall notice states.
No illnesses have been reported to date, Freshouse says.
Here’s a list of the affected items, per the FDA:
2-pound bags of Freshouse Limes
1-pound bags of Nature’s Promise Organic Limes
3-pound bags of Fresh from the Start Red B Potatoes
2-pound bags of Fresh from the Start Lemons
2-pound bags of Wegmans Lemons
4-pound bags of Wegmans Valencia Oranges
Anyone who purchased these items can determine whether they have been recalled by looking for the brand, UPC number and the “trace number printed on the tag or clip attached to the opening of the bag,” the recall notice states.
They were shipped to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, according to Freshouse and the FDA.
Food Lion also said bags of potentially contaminated limes and organic limes were sold at dozens of its stores in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee between July 7 and Aug. 7, according to a corporate notice informing customers of the recall.
Wegmans said bags of the potentially contaminated oranges and lemons were sent to its stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and New York. They were also used in “a variety of in-store produced seafood and restaurant foods items that contain fresh lemon,” according to a news release.
Customers can return the recalled items to both stores for a full refund.
A list of the potentially contaminated products with photographs and trace numbers can be found on Freshouse’s website. The FDA’s recall notice also lists the products, brands, UPC and trace numbers, sizes, lot numbers and shipper reference numbers.
