Uh-oh, more produce recalls. On August 9, the produce warehouse Freshouse II, LLC announced a voluntary recall of lemons, limes, red potatoes, and oranges the company had shipped to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. The produce in question is potentially contaminated with bacteria that can cause listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and has been sold under the brand names Freshouse, Nature’s Promise, Fresh from the Start, and Wegmans. This news comes a little more than a week after a nationwide onion recall due to a salmonella outbreak, which has since infected more than 600 people in 43 states, according to CNN.
Listeria monocytogenes bacteria was found on a piece of equipment that processes produce in the Freshouse warehouse, according to the company’s recall announcement. So far, no illnesses linked with this recall have been reported.
“We voluntarily issued this recall out of an abundance of caution with the steadfast intent to minimize even the slightest risk to public health,” Freshouse President Jamey Friedman said in a statement.
If you’re in one of the affected states, the FDA outlined steps to take to check your produce. First, look for the brand, the number under the barcode (if the produce has one), and, if available, the trace number printed on the tag or clip attached to the opening end of the produce bag. If your produce matches anything on the FDA’s recall table, toss it or take it back to the store for a refund.
In general, healthy people rarely contract a serious illness from eating listeria-contaminated food, the Mayo Clinic says. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria infections pose the greatest risk to pregnant people, newborns, people over 65, and people with weakened immune systems.
Similar to other foodborne illnesses, a listeria infection is unpleasant to say the least, often causing fever and diarrhea, the CDC says. Other symptoms include muscle aches, chills, and nausea. If the infection spreads to your nervous system, you may experience a stiff neck, headache, confusion, and dizziness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pregnant people may not experience severe symptoms themselves, but a listeria infection can be devastating to the fetus, sometimes causing miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or life-threatening infection within a few days of being born.
According to the CDC, a doctor will diagnose listeriosis when a bacterial culture grows Listeria monocytogenes from a body tissue or fluid. Treatment varies depending on how severe the symptoms are. People with mild symptoms are usually advised to just wait it out, but more serious cases require antibiotics. During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment can keep the fetus from contracting the infection, the Mayo Clinic says.
If you’ve eaten potentially contaminated food or are experiencing any of the above symptoms of listeriosis, check in with your doctor. Before your appointment, write down your symptoms, current medications, if you’re pregnant, and if you’re being treated for other medical conditions. These will help your doctor diagnose whether or not you’re dealing with listeriosis. During the appointment, your doctor will likely ask what you’ve eaten, so consider writing a food diary of everything you ate prior to experiencing symptoms.
Out of an abundance of caution, if you think there’s a chance you might have any listeria-contaminated produce, check it out or throw it away if you can’t tell. And if you’ve exhibited symptoms or received a diagnosis from your doctor, consider reporting it to your local public health department.