Company Expands Recall of Salads After Additional Listeria Found, but Limits Amount of Product Recalled

A California company is expanding a voluntary recall of single-serve salad bowls. The recall comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) informed the company that another random sample of their salad with a (5.5oz) with Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018, so as" a precautionary measure, [the company] is recalling all products produced on the same day, same production line, as the one sample that tested positive by CFIA."  The last recall was issued after CFIA found Listeria on product produced with a Best Before Dec 14th, and the company recalled the product produced on that date.

So will this company just wait for CFIA to find more positives before expanding the recall again?  Having an agency found two product positive should be a clear indication that this company probably does not have Listeria under control.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm629152.htm
Apio Inc. Expands Voluntary Recall of Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups Single-Serve Bowls
For Immediate Release
December 26, 2018


Contact
Consumers  Apio  1-800-626-2746
Media  Leigh Lehman  lehman@talktocurrent.com  (310) 967-3409

Announcement
Apio Inc. of Guadalupe, California is expanding a voluntary recall of Eat Smart® Salad Shake Ups™ single-serve bowls. The recall comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) informed the company that another random sample of Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups Sweet Kale/Chou Frise Doux 156 gr. single-serve bowls (5.5oz) with Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018, Lot 112 346, tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

As a precautionary measure, we are recalling all products produced on the same day, same production line, as the one sample that tested positive by CFIA. At this time, we are not aware of any illnesses linked by health officials to this recall and no other products are affected by this recall.

The affected product is sold as a single-serve bowl with the lot code stamped on the side of the bowl and the UPC code printed on the bottom. The affected product includes:

Product Name UPC Code Best Before Date Lot Code
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Asian Sesame/Sésame Asiatique UPC 7 09351 30244 2 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Sweet Kale/Chou Frisé Doux UPC 7 09351 30243 5 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Tropical Lime/Lime Tropicale UPC 7 09351 30197 1 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Asian Sesame UPC 7 09351 30241 1 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Avocado Ranch UPC 7 09351 30177 3 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Raspberry Acai UPC 7 09351 30178 0 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Sweet Kale UPC 7 09351 30240 4 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346
Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups single-serve bowl – Tropical Lime UPC 7 09351 30179 7 Best Before Date of Dec 29, 2018 Lot 112 346

The product was shipped to retail and distributor customers in the following U.S. states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas. In Canada, the product was shipped to retail and distributor customers in the following provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan.

Anyone who has the recalled product in their possession should not consume it. The product from any of these lot numbers should be disposed of immediately or returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Apio's toll-free number at 1-800-626-2746, Monday through Friday from 9:00am – 5:00 pm Pacific Time or visit its website at https://www.eatsmart.net.

Apio Inc. has already notified its retail and distributor customers who were shipped the affected product. Apio, Inc. is issuing this press release and keeping both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CFIA informed of its recall process to ensure that consumers are properly alerted.

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About Apio, Inc.

Apio, founded in 1979 in Guadalupe CA, is the innovation leader in fresh-cut specialty packaged vegetables and salads sold in North America. For more information about Apio and our products, please visit EatSmart.net.