Listeria alert: More Treehouse snacks pulled as sunflower seed recall extends
Earlier this month, dozens of products at risk of containing sunflower seed contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) were voluntarily recalled by businesses including SunOpta, Treehouse Foods, Kroger, Creative Snacks Co and Hickory Harvest.
And the list of affected products has now lengthened after sunflower seed supplier SunOpta this week announced it was extending its recall period from the initial dates of February 1, 2016 and February 19 to include products produced February 20, 2016 through April 21, 2016.
The move prompted Treehouse to yesterday (May 19) recall a further 100 products that were distributed nationwide through retail stores under brand names including Southern Grove, Hy-Vee, Nature’s Harvest and Amport Foods. (See below for a list of these products.)
“This follows the announcement by our supplier SunOpta of its expanded recall of sunflower kernels which have the potential to be contaminated with L. mono,” said Treehouse.
Committed to customer safety
In a statement, SunOpta said it was committed to “ensuring consumer safety and providing quality products and ingredients to customers”.
The company has completed its analysis of the root cause of the issue and is working with food safety experts to implement corrective and preventative measures.
“In an abundance of caution, SunOpta is voluntarily extending the period during which it is recalling a limited number of sunflower kernel products that have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes," it added.
What is Listeriosis?
Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
PepsiCo pulls Quaker bars
Earlier this week, PepsiCo joined the list of businesses affected by the listeria recall when its subsidiary The Quaker Oats Company voluntarily pulled “a small quantity” of Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars.
“There have been no reported illnesses to date,” said the manufacturer, “However, Quaker is initiating the voluntary recall in an abundance of caution to protect public health.”
Quaker added that, while the majority of potentially affected products were withheld from ever reaching retail shelves, the products being recalled were distributed nationwide.
Lists of recalled products
For lists of the initially recalled Treehouse Foods and SunOpta products see here
For lists of recalled Kroger and Brown & Haley products see here
For lists of recalled Hickory Harvest, Schulze and Burch, and Creative Snacks Co products see here
