Broccoli florets sold at Walmart are being recalled in 20 states.
Braga Fresh is voluntarily recalling its washed and ready-to-eat 12-ounce bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets sold at the retailer due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with listeria bacteria.
The issue was discovered after random testing took place at a store in Texas and one of the samples turned up positive for listeria, according to a notice posted to the Food and Drug Administration website on Dec. 31, 2024.
All of the recalled bags of broccoli have a "best by" date of Dec. 10, 2024, so they're not currently sold in stores. But the company is concerned consumers may still have the recalled products at home.
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There haven't been any illnesses reported in relation to the recall, but out of caution, Braga Fresh is recalling its products and alerting consumers. If you purchased any of the recalled items, you should discard them and refrain from eating them.
Just a few weeks ago, there was another recall affecting different broccoli products and vegetables sold at Walmart. That recall also included some Marketside branded items, but was issued due to possible contamination with E. coli.
The new recall is in response to concerns that the bagged broccoli florets could be contaminated with listeria, a different type of bacteria.
Recall Alert
Listeria is a bacteria that causes food-borne illness. While listeria infections are typically mild and cause symptoms like diarrhea, the illness can be more severe. And those who are pregnant, older adults, newborns and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop serious complications from listeria.
Which broccoli products are recalled?
This recall only affects 12-ounce bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets.
The affected items have a "best if used by" date of Dec. 10, 2024. While this date has passed and the product is no longer in stores, there is concern that consumers who purchased the broccoli may still have it in their homes. Anyone who has the recalled broccoli florets should not eat them and instead discard the product.
If the product is included in the recall, it will also show the product UPC code "6 81131 32884 5" and lot code "BFFG327A6."
Where was the recalled broccoli sold?
The recalled bagged broccoli was sold at Walmart stores in these 20 states:
- Alaska
- Arkanas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
Listeria symptoms
Listeria is a type of bacteria that, when ingested, can cause an illness called listeriosis.
There are two types of listeriosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain, including intestinal illness and invasive illness.
An intestinal listeria infection tends to cause mild symptoms that are similar to those of other food-borne illnesses, such as diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms typically start within 24 hours of eating the contaminated food and resolve within three days, per the CDC.
However, some people who get intestinal listeriosis go on to develop a more severe and invasive illness that spreads beyond the intestines, the CDC explains. People who are pregnant, older adults, newborns and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe symptoms.
Symptoms of invasive listeria can include:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Loss of balance
- Seizures
- Confusion
However, in pregnant people, invasive listeria may only present with a fever and flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. In rare cases, invasive listeria can lead to death.
Invasive listeria can cause more severe consequences, including miscarriage or stillbirth for pregnant people. So it's important to know the signs of listeria and avoid contaminated food whenever possible.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from Today:
