More than 400 food items in nine states recalled over potential listeria contamination

More than 400 pre-made food items ranging from sandwiches to salads to cut fruit are being recalled over fears they are contaminated with listeria.

Maryland-based Fresh Ideation Food Group — which makes ready meals — issued the recall after the bacteria was detected in some of its testing samples. No illnesses have been reported to date.

All affected items have a ‘Fresh Creative Cuisine’ label on the bottom of their label and a sell-by date of January 31 through February 6.

They were sold in stores, vending machines, and by transport providers in nine states and Washington D.C. The states are Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.

It comes after 27 tons of deli meat was recalled last week over fears that it had also been contaminated with listeria.

Listeria is a bacterial infection often associated with dairy products — such as ice cream — and deli meats. It can be deadly to pregnant women, newborns and the elderly.

Healthy individuals who ingest listeria may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. 

Potentially contaminated products were sold between January 24 to 30, the recall notice reads.

A full list of the products being recalled has been published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) here.

The recall was called after environmental samples taken from the foods tested positive for listeria.

WHAT IS LISTERIA?

The above image is a computer illustration of the organism Listeria monocytogenes bacterium

WHAT IT IS, THE RISKS, AND HOW TO AVOID IT 

• Listeria is everywhere in the environment
• It’s a type of bacterium that infects humans and other warm-blooded animals through contaminated food
• It’s found in dirty water, irrigation water, soil and fertiliser
• Soft cheeses such as Camembert; cold chicken and deli meats; raw seafood and cold seafood such as smoked salmon; ice cream, fresh fruit and bagged vegetables can also carry Listeria
• Infection can also occur through contact with animals and pests and insufficient cleaning of contaminated fruit and unclean hands 

WHO IS SUSCEPTIBLE … AND THE SYMPTOMS

• Pregnant women, infants, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk
• Listeria starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and sometimes diarrhoea
• The time from consuming the bacterium to showing the signs of illness can often be between 8 to 90 days
• Some people end up in hospital with dehydration 

HOW TO AVOID IT

• Don’t buy bruised or damaged fruit, wash it before eating and refrigerate within two hours of slicing
• Avoid foods past their ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date
• Cook foods thoroughly
• Reheat food until it is steaming hot
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 24 hours, or freeze
• Ready to eat food should never be stored in the fridge for too long as Listeria is one of the few pathogens that can grow in the refrigerator

Source: Food Authority NSW, Food Safety Information Council