New details show Walmart, Publix received recalled produce

Additional distribution details are now available from Country Fresh Orlando LLC showing the company’s freshcut vegetable products that were recalled because of Listeria concerns went to Walmart and Publix stores in addition to other retailers.

The recall includes diced bell peppers, vegetable kabobs, and creole and fajita mixed diced vegetables packaged under the Country Fresh and store brand labels. Retailers in five states received the recalled products: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

News of the recall broke during Labor Day weekend when multiple media outlets across the Southeast reported the Country Fresh products, packaged under the SEG brand, were being recalled. The reports identified Southeast Grocers LLC as the recalling entity for the products, which had been distributed to that company’s retail grocery banners BI-LO, Harveys, Winn-Dixie and Fresco y Más.

On Tuesday, in a recall alert from the Food and Drug Administration, products packaged under the Marketside brand for Walmart and the house brand for Publix Supermarkets Inc. were included with the products packaged for the Southeast Grocers chains.

“The potential for contamination was uncovered as the result of a single routine sample taken at a retail store in Georgia which revealed that the finished product tested contained the bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes”, according to the recall notice on the FDA website, which is dated Sept. 2 but was not available until Sept. 5.

“The company has ceased distribution of the affected product as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Country Fresh continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.”

No illnesses had been confirmed in relation to the recalled products as of the posting of the notice on the FDA website.

The recalled products described in the chart below are in clear plastic containers and Styrofoam trays that are overwrapped with clear plastic film.

Consumers who have purchased any of these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 281-453-3305.

Advice to consumers
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure. It can take up to 70 days after exposure to the bacteria for symptoms to develop.

Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In some cases an invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Listeria bacteria can also cause serious, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients.

Description	Store	Description of Packaging	Use by Date Range	States Distributed
Fajita Blend 12 oz	Southeastern Grocers	Overwrap	8/12/2017 8/18/2017		FL
Stir Fry Vegetable	Southeastern Grocers	Overwrap	8/12/2017 8/18/2017		FL
Vegetable Kabob 23 oz	Southeastern Grocers	Overwrap	8/12/2017 8/18/2017		FL
Green Pepper Diced 6 oz	Southeastern Grocers	Clamshell	8/13/2017 8/20/2017		FL, GA
Creole Mix 6 oz	Southeastern Grocers	Clamshell	8/13/2017 8/19/2017		AL, FL, GA, LA, MS
Tri-Pepper Dice 6 oz	Southeastern Grocers	Clamshell	8/12/2017 8/19/2017		AL, FL, GA, LA, MS
Fajita Mix 6 oz	Southeastern Grocers	Clamshell	8/13/2017 8/19/2017		AL, FL, GA, LA, MS
Kabob Sensations Veggie Kabob 15 oz	Publix Supermarkets Inc.	Overwrap	8/12/2017 8/18/2017		AL, FL, GA
Dice Tri-Pepper 7 oz	WalMart Stores Inc.	Clamshell	8/13/2017 8/20/2017		AL, FL, GA
Marketside Veggie Kabobs 23 oz	WalMart Stores Inc.	Overwrap	8/13/2017 8/20/2017		AL, FL, GA

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