Edamame soybeans sold at retail sushi counters in grocery stores and cafeterias are being recalled nationwide due to potential contamination with listeria.
California-based Advanced Fresh Concepts announced that random internal testing revealed traces of Listeria monocytogenes in its edamame.
Recall Details
The company recalled all edamame with Jan. 3 to March 17 dates and sold in 8-ounce refrigerated packs labeled “Edamame – Soybeans in Pods.” The affected products have the UPC code 0-23012-00261-9 and distributed in several states.
No sickness has been linked so far with the incident.
Supermarket chains such as Publix also announced the recall on their websites.
Consumers who have purchased the affected edamame are encouraged to return it to the store for a full refund. They may also contact AFC through 866-467-8744 Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. or through email at recall@afcsushi.com.
Recent Listeria Scares
Listeria can cause serious, sometimes deadly infections in certain groups, namely young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who have compromised immune systems. In healthy individuals, short-term symptoms such as fever, stiffness, severe headache, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain may manifest.
In pregnant women, however, it could lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, and fetal infections. These patients may experience fever and other flu-like symptoms.
Here are recent listeria-related incidents that have prompted food recalls:
Frozen pizza - A supplier of Walmart Stores issued a recall of frozen pizzas sold in 11 states over fears of potential contamination. The recall covered about 21,220 pounds of Marketside Extra Large Supreme Pizza that have been transported to retail distribution centers in California, Nevada, Washington, and Utah, comprising around 6,700 pizzas sold under Walmart’s Marketside brand. The affected items were produced on Feb. 23 and carry the lot code 20547 and establishment number “EST. 1821.”
Soft raw milk cheese - Federal investigators probed a multi-state listeria outbreak tied to the consumption of soft raw milk cheese from Vulto Creamery, believed to cause two deaths. Six people were hospitalized in the states of Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Vermont, with two fatalities in Connecticut and Vermont, according to a CDC announcement March 9.
Expanded Vulto Creamery cheese recall - Austin-based Whole Foods Market voluntarily recalled Vulto cheese from nine of its outlets in the northeast after the listeria outbreak linked to two deaths. Days after the first recall was announced, it expanded the recall to include the Hamden, Andes, and Walton Umber cheese, already sold in over eight stores in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.
According to CDC estimates, listeria is the third leading cause of fatalities from food poisoning in the country. Hiding in many foods, listeria in deli meats as well as hot dogs figured in many outbreaks in the 1990s.
“Now, listeria outbreaks are often linked to dairy products and produce,” the CDC stated. “Investigators have traced recent outbreaks to soft cheeses, celery, sprouts, cantaloupe, and ice cream.”
Raw milk cheese maintains a high potential for listeria contamination since it is unpasteurized and therefore does not go through any form of sterilization. Pasteurization is done to kill the bacteria responsible for the disease.
