A nationwide recall of mushrooms has been called after Maryland health officials discovered listeria in packets of mushrooms.
New Age International Inc., based in Brooklyn, New York, is recalling its Daily Veggies enoki mushrooms because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria infection—known as listeriosis—is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It is responsible for 1,600 infections and 260 deaths each year, the CDC estimates, particularly affecting young children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Pregnant people are also at risk of serious complications if they ingest listeria, such as pregnancy loss, stillbirths and the fatal infection of their newborn baby.
Among healthy people, listeria usually causes short-term symptoms typical of food poisoning, such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the Daily Veggies enoki mushrooms, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s announcement on Thursday.
However, the FDA urges consumers who have purchased these recalled mushrooms between October and November 2024 to immediately destroy the products or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.
Consumers with questions can contact New Age International by calling 718-808-1018.
Enoki mushrooms are long, thin, white mushrooms commonly used in east Asian cuisine.
These products were sold nationwide in 200g (7oz) clear plastic packages labeled "Product of Korea" on the front and the product code "8809159458890" on the back.
The contamination was discovered after samples of the product were collected from a store in Baltimore, Maryland, and laboratory analysis by the State of Maryland Department of Health determined that they were contaminated with listeria.
Remaining products in the New Age International warehouse have been destroyed.
This recall is one of several connected to enoki mushrooms contaminated with listeria. In November, a recall was issued over Taiwan enoki mushrooms distributed in West Virginia that last week was announced to be a Class I risk level, indicating a high probability of serious adverse health consequences.
And in March 2020, a listeria outbreak that killed four people was linked to enoki mushrooms contaminated with listeria.
Other ongoing recalls include 10 cucumber recalls connected to a salmonella outbreak, carrots recalled due to possible E. coli contamination and cocktail mix recalled due to undeclared allergens.
Newsweek has approached New Age International and the State of Maryland Department of Health for comment.
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