Listeria contamination fears spark urgent recall of more than 40 fresh spinach products

A New York-based company is urgently recalling dozens of their fresh spinach products after tests detected possible listeria bacteria . This voluntary recall affects over 40 different "Fresh Spinach" products announced following an alert from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New York State's Agricultural Authorities found traces of listeria in a sample of Solata Foods' Bogopa 9-ounce fresh spinach bag, prompting this precautionary step. The implicated "Fresh Spinach" packages, which vary in size beyond the tested 9-ounce pack, were distributed for retail sale exclusively in New York stores.

While the FDA has not yet disclosed which retailers carried the potentially contaminated spinach, consumers can identify the recalled items by looking for lot numbers 40606 and 11006 and expiration dates of June 20 or June 24, reports the Express US . Fortunately, there have been no reported cases of illness or fatalities linked to this recall.

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Customers in possession of these products are being instructed to return them to their point of purchase for a refund. For further inquiries, they can reach out to the company directly at (845) 393-0089.

Listeria, also known as listeriosis, is a severe foodborne illness that results from consuming food contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC).

Healthy individuals may experience mild symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. However, a more severe form of the illness can lead to headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, their unborn babies, young children, older adults aged 65 or above, and people with weakened immune systems, are at risk of serious and often fatal infections due to Listeria.

Pregnant women, who are 10 times more likely to contract listeria than healthy adults, may suffer miscarriage, stillbirths, and premature delivery as a result of an infection.

Symptoms can appear within two weeks of eating contaminated food but can start as early as 24 hours or as late as 10 weeks after, depending on the severity of the infection.

Listeria is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. The CDC estimates that each year, about 1,600 Americans get infected, and approximately 260 of them die as a result.