Certain 12 oz (340 grams) bags of broccoli florets sold at Walmart stores in 20 US states have been recalled over possible listeria contamination. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. In a new update, the FDA has classified the recall as “Class I,” meaning the product could cause “serious adverse health consequences or death,” as per NBC Chicago. Class I is the most severe recall classification.
On December 27, 2024, Braga Fresh voluntarily issued a precautionary recall for a single production lot of 12 oz Marketside Broccoli, which was washed and ready to eat. The affected batch had a best-if-used-by date of December 10, 2024, and was no longer available in stores.
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However, consumers who may have frozen the product for later use were advised not to consume it and to discard it immediately. The contamination was detected during a random sampling at a store in Texas.
According to the FDA, healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms like high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea after exposure to listeria. However, Listeria monocytogenes can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women. So far, no illnesses linked to the recalled broccoli have been reported.
Previously, the FDA classified a recall of 6,000 bags of 13 oz Lay’s Classic Potato Chips under Class I due to the presence of undeclared milk. Read more about it here.
