(July 1, 2019) Growers Express issued a voluntary recall of its fresh vegetable products out of concern for a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The packaged foods are available at a variety of locations across the country, the majority of them at Trader Joe’s.
The veggie products included in the packages were varieties of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and zucchini. The majority of the affected products were labeled with a “Best if used by” date of June 26 to June 29, 2019.
Trader Joe’s stores sold the vegetable products in 29 states and Washington D.C. The other stores were Big Y Foods, Bozzutos, C&S, Food Lion, Four Seasons, Native Maine, Procacci, Ruby Robinson (PFG), Shaws, and Stop & Shop.
The vegetables originate from Biddeford, Maine– the Growers Express production facility in the northeast region of the United States. The affected products are listed below:
- Green Giant Fresh Cauliflower Sweet Potato Crumbles, UPC 605806000515, Best By 6/28/2019
- Green Giant Fresh Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, UPC 605806000744, Best By 6/28/2019
- Green Giant Fresh Butternut Diced, UPC 605806138010, Best By 6/26/2019
- Green Giant Fresh Butternut Cubed, UPC 605806138218, Best By 6/26/2019
- Green Giant Fresh Ramen Bowl, UPC 605806027864, Best By 6/28/2019
- Signature Farms Cauliflower Crumbles, UPC 2113098438, Best By 6/28/2019
- Green Giant Fresh Zucchini Noodles, UPC 605806000881, Best By 6/26/2019, 6/29/2019
- Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Spirals, UPC 623391, Best By 6/28/2019
- Trader Joe’s Zucchini Spirals, UPC 634908, Best By 6/27/2019
Based out of Salinas, Calif., Growers Express is the primary licensed partner of Green Giant Fresh. No other Growers Express products were part of this recall, nor does it include Green Giant canned or frozen vegetable products.
“The safety of our consumers is our first priority,” said Tom Byrne, president of Growers Express. “We self-reported the need for this recall to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and stopped production immediately after being notified of a single positive sample by the Massachusetts Department of Health.”
Byrne went on to say the company is conducting a deep sanitization of the entire facility and equipment.
Listeria Illness and Food Poisoning Signs to Watch For
There are no reported illnesses so far, but the potential Listeria scare is not to be taken lightly. Listeria is a foodborne illness that may present itself within one to four weeks after eating contaminated food.
Signs of Listeria food poisoning sickness may include convulsions, headache, stiff neck, confusion and loss of balance.
Listeria is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and infants. Pregnant women may experience flu-like symptoms including fever, fatigue and muscle aches. However, it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature death or life-threatening infection to the newborn.
Do you have a Growers Express recall lawsuit?
If you or a loved one were sickened with listeria from any of the recalled Growers Express products, you should contact our food poisoning lawyers as soon as possible. Compensation may be available to you by filing a food poisoning lawsuit.
We offer a Free Case Evaluation. Please contact us using the form below or by calling us at (800) 279-6386. We would be honored to speak with you and respond promptly to every inquiry we receive.
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