What happens during a food recall due to listeria?
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EmailA foodborne illness outbreak from listeria can trigger a food recall. What happens next?
Listeria is a pathogenic bacterium that can cause listeriosis. Michigan State University Extension recommends checking refrigerators and freezers for food that is recalled due to listeria contamination.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an infection from listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Other symptoms include stiff neck, headache and even confusion, convulsions, and loss of balance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates nearly one in six people with listeriosis will die. Individuals with weakened immune systems are between four to ten times more likely than healthy adults to become sick from listeria.
The severity of the illness may determine someone’s next decision. The sick person may do nothing and recover, or they may seek medical treatment, or even contact their local health department to report the illness. If two or more people have the same illness from eating or drinking the same food or drink, the foodborne illness is considered an outbreak.
Outbreaks and investigations, per the CDC, generally follow these steps:
- State and local public health departments will report illnesses such as listeriosis to a federal database which can warn of potential multistate outbreaks.
- Investigators will interview people and ask for a history of food eaten in the past several weeks who have reported a foodborne illness.
- Investigators will test suspected food if it is still available. Identifying the specific food is the most difficult part of the investigation.
- If a specific food or ingredient is positively identified, the food manufacturer or supplier will issue a recall or close a restaurant or processing plant until the source of the illness is no longer a threat.
Not all outbreaks are solved by identifying the source of contamination.
Foods that have been recalled due to past listeria outbreaks include:
- Peaches, plums and nectarines.
- Cantaloupe.
- Ice cream.
- Caramel apples.
- Leafy green packaged salad.
- Frozen vegetables and fruit.
- Store-prepared deli salads.
- Pre-made meat or seafood salads.
- Anything that is considered ready-to-eat refrigerated food.
- Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, such as feta, brie and camembert.
- Blue-veined cheeses, queso blanco, queso fresco, cotija, and panela.
There are additional foods that are at high risk for causing listeriosis. The one food that has the highest risk for listeria is unpasteurized milk or dairy products made with raw milk. There are many myths about unpasteurized milk and dairy products, but knowing the facts can prevent a foodborne illness from listeria.
Preventing listeria from growing in the kitchen is an important step in reducing the risk of listeriosis. Being alert to food recalls is easy by visiting the FDA and the USDA for a list of food recalls and signing up for email notifications of new food recalls. For more information, view MSU Extension's online fact sheet on How to React to Food Recalls.
