Sprouts Recall Issued Over Fear of Listeria Contamination

Wisconsin-based company Jack and the Green Sprouts, Inc., has pulled packages of its alfalfa and alfalfa onion sprouts off the shelves over fears that the products could have been contaminated by listeria.

According to an announcement published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, the alfalfa sprouts under the recall were sold in 5-ounce plastic containers and marked with lot number 300 UPC 763247198915 or lot number 246 UPC 763247195945 on the top of the packaging.

The items were sold at grocery stores and local co-ops in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. No illnesses related to the recall have been reported to date.

“The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the company revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in 5-ounce packages of Alfalfa sprouts,” read the company’s announcement. “The production of the product has been suspended while the company continues to investigate the source of the problem.”

Consumers who have purchased the recalled items are asked to throw them out or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund. Questions about the recall can be directed to Jack and the Green Sprouts at 715-425-9495, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria infections often impact a person’s gut and can cause food poisoning symptoms, including diarrhea and vomiting. The bacteria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the United States, resulting in approximately 1,600 infections and 260 deaths annually.

Symptoms from a listeria infection typically take three to four weeks to present themselves, although signs of an infection can sometimes appear within the first week of exposure. Listeria infections can be especially serious for those who are pregnant, older than age 65 and for people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.

Newsweek reached out to Jack and the Green Sprouts via email for additional information late Friday night.

Since July, at least 10 people have died and dozens of others hospitalized in connection to a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head liverwurst. The CDC last month said in an update on the outbreak that the “true number of sick people” is likely higher than what has been recorded, given that many can recover from listeria without medical care.

Boar’s Head has responded by indefinitely suspending its production of liverwurst and shutting down its Jarratt, Virginia, plant at the core of the outbreak. In an update on September 13, the company said that the listeria outbreak is “a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry.”