Spinach Recalled Over Listeria Risk
Food recalls happen more often than you may think. There are a variety of reasons food will be recalled, but most of them have to do with health concerns. A lot of times foods are recalled for pre-emptive measures, instead of the food being completely contaminated. At times, it’s easier for the company to issue a recall, if there’s a potential that an illness can be traced back to the food, than it is to deal with the consequences if a full-blown contamination was in effect.
In this article we’re going to highlight a recent food recall from a BI-LO store in Georgia. The Spinach Antipasti salad was recalled due to a risk over the bacteria contaminant Listeria. This was a localized re-call, although sometimes larger scale recalls do go into effect.
Why do food recalls occur?
Food recalls generally occur when there is a warranted enough reason that the food might be contributing to the illness of consumers. On smaller scale recalls the distributor or the food manufacturer will put the recall into effect. However, if it’s a large enough recall then the FDA or USDA will issue a more widespread recall. The main health reasons recalls occur are due to: allergens being present in the food, discovering an illness carrying organism, and mislabeling food.
What company produced the contaminated product?
The Spinach Antipasta Salad was produced by Taylor Farms, and was sold in the deli case. This spinach is said to have been contaminated with Listeria. Recently, there was a much larger recall associated with Reser’s Fine Foods, which was also due to Listeria contamination. This more widespread contamination gave BI-LO foods enough reason to issue the recall.
Was anyone harmed before the recall went into effect?
According to this specific incident there was no direct reports associated with this salad’s consumption. However, it’s hard to trace back the timing of an incident and the point at which someone gets sick. Often it’s hard to tell if the recalled food is directly responsible, unless there has been multiple accounts of illness.
BI-LO, the company who sold the spinach is asking anyone who purchased the spinach to immediately discard it and get a refund.
Spinach and salad greens are commonly recalled products as they are grown close to the ground and run a higher risk of contamination than other fruits and vegetables. There are usually several recalls a year concerning spinach and other related products.
What are the effects of Listeria?
There are a ton of physical effects that may point towards Listeriosis, including: muscle aches, fever, stiff joints, confusion, gastrointestinal problems, and loss of balance. Anyone who is experiencing any of these symptoms should see their doctor as soon as possible.
I hope this article has been valuable and you have a better understanding of how food recalls work, and why they occur. It’s important to keep up on the latest food recalls, as you wouldn’t want to put the health of yourself or your family at risk.
Sources:
Zane Schwarzlose writes for The Law Offices of WT Johnson, a food poisoning lawyer in Dallas, Texas. Zane thinks that listeria doesn’t sound very fun.
