Listeria positive prompts recall of frozen, organic green beans

Nature’s Touch Frozen Foods LLC of Front Royal, VA, recalled two years worth of its frozen organic whole green beans today because Connecticut inspectors got positive results for Listeria monocytogenes on a random sample from a retailer.

The frozen food company reported it distributed the frozen, organic green beans to retailers in a dozen states, but did not name those retailers in its recall notice.

There is concern that consumers may have unused portions of the recalled organic green beans in their homes because some of the implicated beans have best-before dates ranging from this summer through June 21, 2019.

No one should eat the recalled product because of the danger of contracting listeriosis, a potentially life-threatening infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Nature’s Touch is urging consumers to discard the recalled organic green beans or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

“All affected retailers have been contacted to ensure that the recalled product is removed from store shelves,” the company news release said.

“Nature’s Touch has immediately ceased the production and distribution of this product and is working in full collaboration with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration on this recall.”

Nature’s Touch distributed the recalled green beans in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Consumers can identify the recalled Nature’s Fresh branded frozen green beans that are subject to the recall by looking for the following:

• 10-ounce bags
• “Organic Fine Whole Green Beans”
• UPC number 8 73668 00141 8
• Best-before dates from June 4, 2017, through June 21, 2019

As of today, no illnesses had been confirmed in relation to the recalled green beans. However, it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms of listeriosis to develop.

Anyone who has eaten the recalled green beans and become ill with symptoms of listeriosis would immediately seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the bacteria.

Similarly, anyone who has recently eaten the recalled frozen, organic Nature’s Touch green beans should monitor themselves for symptoms of infection for the coming weeks.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The Nature’s Touch consumer service staff will be available to answer any questions Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST by phone at: 1-877-850-2664 or by email at: info@naturestouch.ca.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection is the agency that found the Listeria monocytogenes in the product sample.

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from Food Recalls – Food Safety News http://ift.tt/2jbsD0h