On the 23rd of October, 2023 the United States Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of Utopia Foods Enoki Mushrooms, after a routine testing exposed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the product.
Utopia Foods voluntarily recalled all lots of their Qilu Enterprise-branded Enoki Mushrooms, as of October 23rd, 2023. The United States Food and Drug Administration described in their public, written release, that the cause for concern is critical; “…because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.” The symptoms of Listeria often include nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain or discomfort, severe headache, high fever and stiffness of muscles and joints. Listeria monocytogenes has often also been known to cause complications in pregnancy; grave as even miscarriages and stillborn babies. If experiencing the prior-listed symptoms of Listeria, whether having consumed the recalled Qilu Enterprise Enoki Mushrooms or not, individuals should be prompt about contacting their personal healthcare provider and alerting public health safety officials.
The Singapore Food Agency defines the variety of Enoki Mushrooms as having, “distinctive appearance, mild flavour with crisp texture. First cultivated in Japan, this popular fungus has become very popular in East Asian cuisines… typically used… in soups, hotpots, stews, and stir-fries. However, poor preparation of this mushroom poses serious food safety risks arising from pathogenic bacteria.” The affected Enoki Mushroom products were distributed to various retailers and wholesalers across the United States; in Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. For identification, the United States Food and Drug Administration shared that the recalled Enoki Mushrooms were packaged in clear, plastic packaging, weighing 200g each. They are marked with the barcode number of 8928918610109 and have the expiration date of October 26th, 2023.
For more information regarding Listeria presence in the Qilu Enterprise Enoki Mushrooms and recall, customers may contact Jack at Utopia Foods by calling the number 718-389-8898.
