These veggies are causing listeria outbreaks: Here’s what to avoid
Key Takeaways
Several veggie and meat products have been recently recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Eating food contaminated with Listeria can put people at risk of Listeria infection (listeriosis), which can pose severe health consequences for some people, particularly those who are pregnant.
Be sure not to eat any food items that have been recalled and to discard any recalled products that you already own.
Several vegetable and meat products have been recalled due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.[][][] These recalls, some of which surfaced in July, are labeled Class I recalls, the highest risk category designated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Both the FDA and USDA tend to classify recalls due to Listeria contamination as Class I due to the high risks that Listeria exposure can pose to vulnerable groups. Notably, Listeria exposure can cause some people to develop listeriosis, which can put them at risk of hospitalization or even death.[] Not everyone who is exposed to Listeria will develop listeriosis; however, because the consequences can be so severe for those who do, contaminated foods are considered a Class I risk.
High risk patients
“The big elephant in the room right now is Listeria monocytogenes, which is extremely dangerous, especially for pregnant women,” says Mitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP), a Chicago-based nonprofit public health organization that advocates for effective food safety policies. “The pathogen itself can cause the end of pregnancies—and it's incredibly sad.”
Baum adds that listeria can survive in common foods like packaged lunch meat—certain brands of which have been recently recalled—so it is important for consumers to stay educated on risks and avoid or discard any recalled products.
Among those who are more vulnerable to listeriosis are pregnant people, fetuses, babies, young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people.
Fetuses can develop listeriosis when a pregnant person eats something contaminated with Listeria and can experience severe complications after birth and throughout life.[] These complications include:
Brain complications
Kidney complications
Heart complications
Blindness
Paralysis
Seizures
Death
Healthy adults who develop listeriosis may not experience such severe outcomes, but they can still get sick. Some symptoms that they may develop include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
What foods are recalled?
Multiple vegetable and meat products have been recalled due to potential Listeria contamination. These include several products marketed by Supreme Service Solutions LLC, which voluntarily recalled multiple products this summer due to potential risks.[2] Some of these products are sold at Kroger stores. Below are the product names and barcode UPC.
1. Pico/Guac Combo, 850054894434
2. Butternut Squash Cubes 12 oz, 850053685552
3. Chopped Cilantro 2 oz, 850053685446
4. Chopped Cilantro W/ White Onions 5 oz, 850053685422
5. Diced Jalapeno 7 oz, 850053685361
6. Diced Pepper Tri-Blend 7 oz, 850053685347
7. Diced Pepper W/ White Onions 7 oz, 850053685385
8. Fajita Mix Hot 11 oz, 850053685781
9. Grilling Vegetables 19 oz, 850053685842
10. Guacamole Chunky Medium 17 oz, 850053685897
11. Guacamole Chunky Mild 17 oz, 850053685880
12. Pico De Gallo Classic Hot 14 oz, 850053685965
13. Pico De Gallo Classic Medium 14 oz , 850053685958
14. Pico De Gallo Classic Mild 14 oz, 850053685941
15. Salsa Medium 16 oz, 850053685989
16. Salsa Mild 16 oz, 850053685972
17. Snacking Peppers 12 oz, 850053685538
18. Vegetable Bowl $10 26 oz, 860010507131
19. Vegetable Kabob 27 oz, 850053685859
Boar's Head Products
Other Listeria-based recalls include several meat products sold by Boar’s Head. The company voluntarily recalled many meat products this July due to potential Listeria contamination. More recently, the USDA said that the company added “approximately 7 million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products,” or 71 products, to its recall.[] The recalled Boar’s Head products were produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. The recalled products have “sell by” dates ranging from July 29, 2024, to October 17, 2024.
Some of the recalled Boar’s Head products include certain lot numbers of:
Virginia Ham Whole
Fiber Cappy Ham Half
Hot Butt Cappy Ham
Gourmet Pepper Ham Half
Sweet Slice Ham
Sweet Slice Ham Half
Natural Casing Cappy Ham Half
Tavern Ham
Extra Hot Cappy Ham
Rosemary Sundried Tomato Ham
Sweet Slice Ham Baby Half
Head Cheese
Olive Loaf
Pickle & Pepper Loaf
Liverwurst Paté 8oz
Bologna Thin Half
Bologna Thick Half
Beef Salami
Natural Casing Pork & Beef Frankfurters Giant
Steakhouse Slab Bacon
Natural Casing Beef Franks 8/1
Canadian Style Bacon
All Natural Traditional Ham
All Natural Applewood Smoked Ham
Garlic Bologna
Lower Sodium Bologna
Beef Bologna
Spiced Ham Square Half
Hot Smoked Sausage 1LB
Skinless Pork & Beef Franks 8/1 1LB
Beef Knockwurst
What this means for you
Several meat and vegetable products have been recalled due to potential Listeria contamination. Avoiding these products is crucial to protect your health, particularly if you are pregnant or immunocompromised.