More than 55,000 pounds of frozen blueberries were recalled due to contamination with listeria bacteria. The blueberries were distributed by Willamette Valley Fruit Company to Canada and four states: Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin. The FDA announced a Class I recall, the most serious recall level, which indicates a “reasonable probability…of…serious adverse health consequences or death”. The blueberries were sold in bulk containers to businesses and were not available for sale to individual consumers in grocery retailers.
Listeria is a potentially dangerous bacteria that can cause infections ranging from mild to severe. Mild symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and nausea. Listeria can cause severe problems even in previously healthy people. However, pregnant individuals, infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a heightened risk of severe disease. In these more serious cases, the infection can lead to headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, and stillbirth or death of a newborn.
