Trader Joe’s Recalls Salads with Sunflower Seeds
Trader Joe’s has announced a voluntary recall of “Trader Joe’s Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat, Sunflower Seeds, 
Cranberries, And A Sweet & Spicy Vinaigrette” due to concerns that the sunflower seeds in the salad may be infected with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially lethal bacteria that causes illnesses primarily in young children, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant women.
The recall only affects salads sold on Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. The recalled salads are labeled with SKU 50286, and “use by” dates between May 2nd and May 7th of this year.
The company reported that all affected salads had already been removed from the stores’ shelves. However, the company is urging consumers to check any Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat, Sunflower Seeds, Cranberries, And A Sweet & Spicy Vinaigrette they may have purchased to ensure that the listed “use by” dates do not fall between May 2nd and May 7th.
Any affected salad may be discarded or returned to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.
Salads produced before May 2nd are not part of the recall, and the company is using a different source of sunflower seeds.
Larger Sunflower Seed Recall Having Resounding Effects
Sunflower seeds have been at the heart of multiple recalls over the past week, with products ranging from protein bars to products such as salads and trail mix.
The slew of recalls followed the announcement last week by SunOpta, a Canadian company with its US headquarters located in Minnesota, of a large-scale seed recall.
The company indicated that the recall affects sunflower seeds produced at SunOpta’s Crookston, Minnesota facility during the month of February and up until February 19th. The seeds, said the company, were sent to distribution centers in Illinois and North Dakota, and subsequently may have been distributed to different companies and used in different products nationwide.
