Mann Packing Co.: Multiple Vegetable Products Recalled Due to Listeria Risk
Mann Packing Co., Inc issued a voluntary recall on multiple vegetable products on November 3, 2019. The recall was issued after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in cooperation with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), notified the company about a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination of some of its products. The recall was issued to select retailers in the United States and Canada ho are believed to have received the potentially contaminated food.
Listeria is a potentially deadly bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness as well as still-births, miscarriages, and in non-pregnant persons (often, though not always, with a preexisting weakened immune system) meningitis and /or encephalitis.
The Mann Packing Company announced that they were only issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution, and that as of the date of the recall Health Officials have not reported any illnesses due to the recalled products. The recalled vegetable products have the “Best If Enjoyed By” date of October 11, 2019, to November 16, 2019. A full list of the recalled products can be found in the Mann Packing Company websites https://mannpackingproductlist11-2019.ca/ and https://mannpackingproductlist11-2019.us/ .
Unfortunately, complicating the recall is the fact that many of the recalled products can be found under different brand names such as H.E.B, Kroger, 0 Organics, Signature Farms, and Del Monte.
The FDA is advising customers who might have purchased any of the recalled items to dispose of them in a safe manner or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Customers who may have ingested any of the contaminated vegetable products are advised to be vigilant for symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) symptoms of listeria normally begin 1 to 4 weeks after eating the contaminated products, in some cases, symptoms may start as late as 70 days after the ingestion of the contaminated product. Ron Simon, a national Listeria Lawyer, stated “Both pregnant and non-pregnant individuals face the same dilemma concerning the detection of Listeria. The fact is that most cases of Listeriosis are not identified epidemiologically. Over 95% of victims who get Listeria will develop gastroenteritis and will recover without seeking medical attention, or if they seek medical attention, they will not be tested or provide a stool sample which often misses Listeria in standard stool cultures.”