Fresh Express Packaged Salad Listeria Outbreak

Posted in Our Blog on December 22, 2021

For those of you planning to serve salad with your holiday feasts, it is a good idea to steer clear of some Fresh Express packaged salads. This week, the FDA announced an outbreak of listeria illnesses and a recall linked to a multi-state outbreak. Here is everything we know about this Fresh Express Packaged Salad Listeria Outbreak”

About the Fresh Express Packaged Salad Listeria Outbreak

According to Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response

“The FDA, along with the CDC and our state and local partners, is working to investigate a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections. To date, a positive sample of Fresh Express Sweet Hearts salad mix has been reported to match the outbreak strain. Fresh Express has voluntarily recalled products and consumers are advised not to eat, sell or serve any recalled products. Our investigation is ongoing, and we will continue to communicate should additional products be implicated.

“Ten people infected with the outbreak strain have been reported from eight states. A sample of Fresh Express prepackaged romaine and sweet butter lettuce was collected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as part of their routine sampling efforts. The sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and was a match to the outbreak strain. Given this, Fresh Express voluntarily ceased production at their Streamwood, Illinois, facility and initiated a recall of certain varieties of its branded and private label salads produced in that facility.

“We will continue to work with our partners and with Fresh Express to determine the source of this outbreak. We remain committed to transparency and providing updates as we learn more during our continuing traceback investigation.”

About the Fresh Express Packaged Salad Listeria Outbreak Recall

Fresh Express voluntarily ceased production at their Streamwood, Illinois, facility and initiated a recall of certain varieties of its branded and private label salad products produced at the company’s Streamwood, Illinois, facility. The recall includes all Use-By Dates of fresh salad items with product codes Z324 through Z350.

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 full list of recalled products is found at the end of this announcement. 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, as shown above. 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.

Listeria Quick Facts:

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected. Symptoms can occur anywhere from 3 to 70 days after exposure to the bacteria and include:

• Fever
• Nausea
• Achy neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Convulsions
• Achy muscles, and/or
• Diarrhea – In some cases, diarrhea may be so severe that the ill person requires hospitalization.

Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell their health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

The Lange Law Firm Can Help

Our mission is to help families who have been harmed by contaminated food or water.  When corporations cause Listeria food poisoning outbreaks, we use the law to hold them accountable.  The Lange Law Firm PLLC is one of the only law firms in the nation focused on representing families in food poisoning lawsuits.  This is what we do.

If you were diagnosed with Listeria after eating packaged salad in this Fresh Express Packaged Salad Listeria Outbreak and want to make a legal claim for compensation, we can help. Our Listeria lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your Listeria food poisoning.  Call us for a free no obligation legal consultation at (833) 330-3663 or send us an e-mail here.