Frozen vegetables recalled; onions in them could carry Listeria

At least two frozen vegetable blends produced by the Pictsweet Co. are under recall because chopped onions in the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Officials from Pictsweet in Bells, TN, were not immediately available for comment today. A recall notice from a regional grocery chain in St. Louis states the implicated onions came from Oregon Potato Co., doing business as Freeze Pack.

The Schnucks grocery chain recall of Pictsweet brand “Seasoning Blend” and “Steamable Spring Vegetables” today, just one day after Reser’s Fine Foods recalled 19 refrigerated salads from 29 states because of possible listeria contamination from chipped onions. The Reser’s recall did not name the onion supplier.

Corporate officials with Reser’s and Oregon Potato Co. did not immediately respond to calls for comment. The April 10 recall by Reser’s stated certain Safeway and Walmart branded salads were made with the potentially contaminated onions.

As of this afternoon, no recall notices for the onions or other products containing them had been posted by Pictsweet Co., the Oregon Potato Co. or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Listeria monocytogenes is a microscopic organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, pregnant women, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infections can cause miscarriage and stillbirths among pregnant women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The recalled frozen vegetable products are:

• Pictsweet Seasoning Blend, 12-ounce, UPC: 7056096902, Best by date: 4/2/2018; and
• Pictsweet Steamable Spring Vegetables,10-ounce, UPC: 7056097826 Best by date: 3/19/2018.

Schnucks is offering refunds to customers who return the recalled products. Customers can contact the Schnucks consumer affairs department at 314-994-4400 or 1-800-264-4400.

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