Long list of salad products recalled after illness leads to death, 19 states including MA, RI, CT affected

Fresh Express is recalling certain varieties of its branded and private label salad products produced at the company’s Streamwood, Illinois facility because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Consumers with these symptoms should consult their health care provider.

Recalled salad items were distributed through retailers in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States, as well as distributors and retailers in Canada. U.S. distribution includes the states of CT, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, WI. Canadian distribution includes the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.

The recall includes all Use-By Dates of fresh salad items with product codes Z324 through Z350. Product codes are located on the front of the packages below the Use-By Date. No other Fresh Express products are subject to recall.

The recall was necessitated when the Michigan Department of Agriculture received a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test of a single package of Fresh Express 9 oz. Sweet Hearts salad mix with Use-By Date of December 8, 2021, manufactured at the Fresh Express Streamwood facility. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported ten illnesses associated with the strain of Listeria monocytogenes detected in the random sample beginning in 2016 to the present. 1 death has been reported.

Fresh Express immediately halted all production at the Streamwood facility and initiated a complete sanitation review. Fresh Express has already been in contact with retailers who received the recalled items, instructing them to remove them from store shelves and stop any further shipments to stores from distribution centers and other inventories.

In the event consumers have the recalled products in their refrigerators, they should be discarded and not consumed. To obtain a refund or for more information, consumers may call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Refunds are also available where purchased.

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