Listeria Concerns Prompt Massive Recall of Frozen Foods

Have frozen vegetables or even meals in your freezer? Then you want to check this list.

The Food and Drug Administration and frozen foods giant CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington have teamed up for one of the largest recalls of frozen foods in history.

Here’s the recall notice, issued by the FDA:

As a precaution, CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington is expanding its voluntary recall of frozen organic and traditional fruits and vegetables. We are performing this voluntary recall in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because these products have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeriainfection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

This expanded recall of frozen vegetables includes all of the frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods’ Pasco facility since May 1, 2014. All affected products have the best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018. These include approximately 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands, the details of which are listed below. Products include organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans, Italian beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends, and stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries. For a complete list of affected products, see below.

We apologize for any concern or inconvenience this expanded recall has caused our customers and consumers who enjoy our products. We are issuing this release to alert consumers not to eat these products. Consumers who purchased these products may return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund, or simply discard them. Consumers with questions may call the company’s consumer hotline at 844-483-3866, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

CRF had already suspended operations at its Pasco, Washington facility as of Monday morning, April 25, 2016 following the initial voluntary recall, so a thorough review could be conducted.

CDC has informed CRF Frozen Foods that the government has identified seven people from three states who became ill and were hospitalized due to Listeria. Some of these illnesses have been linked to consuming CRF-manufactured or processed products. CDC also informed us that, sadly, two of these individuals later died, but that Listeria was not the cause of death in either person.

All retailers who received the products have been contacted.

Products being recalled may have been purchased in all 50 U.S. states and the following Canadian Provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.

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CRF-Branded Products
Instructions to Consumer > All Best By Dates, All Frozen Vegetables and Fruit Items
Best By will include the following dates 04.26.16 thru 04.26.18
All Codes are found on the Back of the Bag in the following location down the back seam

 

Private Labels with CRF Identified through an unique number on bag Instructions to consumer> look for the highlighted numbers as shown Below Best By will include the following dates 04.26.16 thru 04.26.18
All Codes are found on the Back of the Bag in the following location down the back seam

 

Private Labels with CRF Identified through an unique number on bag
Instructions to consumer> look for the code with one of the letters at the end A, B, C,D Best By will include the following dates 04.26.16 thru 04.26.18
All Codes are found on the Back of the Bag in the following location down the back seam, lower right hand corner