As a precaution, Pasco, Washington-based CRF Frozen Foods is expanding its voluntary recall of frozen organic and traditional fruits and vegetables that may have been purchased in all 50 US states and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The action, in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is being taken because the products have the potential to be contaminated with the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes and thus post health risks.
Listeria monocytogenes 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.
CDC has informed CRF Frozen Foods that it has identified seven people from three states who became ill and were hospitalized due to Listeria. Some of these illnesses have been linked to consuming CRF-manufactured or processed products. Two of these persons later died, but Listeria was not deemed the cause of death in either case.
The expanded recall includes all of the frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods’ Pasco facility since May 1, 2014. Affected SKUs have best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018. These include approximately 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands and private labels, including:
Bybee’s, Columbia River Organics, Northwest Growers Select, Organic by Nature, Canadian-Costco Wholesale, C.H. Belts, Chef Maxwell, Correct Choice, Earth’s Pride, Endico, Farmer’s Bounty, Fiesta Mart, The Inn, Live Smart, Parade, O Organic, Pantry Essentials, Safeway Kitchens, Signature Kitchens, Trader Joe’s, USDA, VIP, Wessley Farms, JFDA, McCain, Mity Fresh, Overhill Farms, Veggie Mania and Life Foods.
Products range from organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans and Italian beans, to kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends, and stir-fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries and strawberries.
Shoppers who possess any of these items are urged not to consume them, but instead return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund, or simply discard the packs. Persons with questions may call the company’s consumer hotline at 844-551-5595.
Meanwhile, production operations have been suspended at CRF’s Pasco facility while a thorough review is being conducted.
