USDA issues another recall of ready-made meals with ingredients contaminated by deadly
Health officials are issuing an urgent warning over ready-made meals that may be contaminated with deadly bacteria.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a public health alert Monday for two microwavable meals from HelloFresh after an inspection found one ingredient, spinach, may be contaminated with listeria, a type of bacteria that causes severe diarrhea and muscle aches.
Recalled products include 10.1-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta and 10-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey.
Both meals were shipped directly to consumers nationwide. It’s unclear how many meals were affected, but the meal kit company has about 8million customers across the country.
The pork pepper pasta is identified with establishment number Est. 47718 and lot code 49107 or Est. 2937 and lot code 48840. The unstuffed peppers with ground turkey is identified with Est. P-47718 and lot codes 50069, 50073 or 50698.
The contamination was discovered after FreshRealm, which produced the meals, alerted the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) that the spinach had tested positive for listeria.
No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported, the USDA said.
Last month, FreshRealm also found pasta used in linguine dishes sold at Walmart had the same strain of listeria linked to an outbreak in June, which has sickened 20 and killed four, according to the latest CDC data.
Ready-made meals from Hello Fresh have been recalled due to a risk of listeria (stock image)
Listeria, pictured here, is especially dangerous for pregnant women, potentially resulting in miscarriages (stock image)
The outbreak was tied to pasta supplied by Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, California.
Kroger, Giant Eagle and Albertson’s have all also recalled pasta dishes made with contaminated ingredients.
Listeria, also called Listeriosis, is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
It can be found in moist environments, soil, water, decaying vegetation and animals, and can survive refrigeration and other food preservation measures.
Many foods can harbor the bug, but it is usually found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses and ready-to-eat foods, such as pre-packed sandwiches. Cooked shellfish, cured meats and fish, including sushi and pre-cut fruit, are also a risk.
Most people who eat food contaminated with Listeria will not become seriously ill.
But in some cases, it can cause confusion and seizures, miscarriages among pregnant women, and even death.
In the original listeria recall linked to Nate’s Fine Foods, one pregnancy-associated illness resulted in fetal death.
Pictured above is the label for recalled Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey meals
Pictured above is the label for recalled Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta meals
This can happen when the infection spreads beyond the gut and affects the central nervous system, which can lead to numbness and seizures.
The CDC estimates 1,600 Americans become infected with listeria every year, and about 260 die.
The USDA urged consumers who bought the Hello Fresh meals to check their refrigerators and freezers and avoid consuming them.
The agency also said it ‘expects additional affected products to be identified.’
Affected products should be thrown away or returned to their place of purchase.