Blueberry recalls have been upgraded to the highest possible level, rather than pollution issues.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Alma Pak International LLC voluntarily recalled 400 boxes, each weighing 30 pounds, and was made of organic blueberries, as they tested positive for the disease-promoting bacteria Listeria monocytogenetic agent during routine testing.
On Tuesday, the FDA recalled Blueberry to Level I, with the highest risk. One lesson I recall was “as the FDA pointed out, “there is a reasonable possibility that there could be serious adverse health consequences or death.”
The recalled blueberries were shipped to a North Carolina customer. Affected products can be identified by lot number: 13325 G1060 / 13325 G 1096.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes, Listeria is a “bacteria that can contaminate many foods” whose infection is caused by foods from Listeria monocytogenes. Although symptoms may vary, Listeria infection “causes invasive and intestinal diseases.”
Alma Pak International LLC initially recalled 400 blueberry cases in June (Getty Images)
Listeria infection is the third major cause of foodborne deaths in the United States, killing about 260 people each year.
Many foods have been recalled recently in the United States due to the risks of Listeria. Last month, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said the new FreshRealm's chicken bread Alfredo product was recalled as the outbreak of Listeria monocytic vaccine.
Officials said the epidemic caused three deaths, one more died and 17 injured in 13 states.
Authorities say ready-made meals are shipped to the country from the Freshrealm agency in San Clemente, California, Motzuma, Georgia and the national Walmart and Kroger locations in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Also in June, Bornstein Seafoods Inc issued a recall of 44,550 pounds of cooked and peeled ready-to-eat cold-water shrimp. This is the Listeria monocytogenes detected in shrimps in routine sampling.
The recall has also been shocking and unexplainable in the past two years. A public interest research team report shows that in 2024, about 300 food recalls were issued, which were linked to nearly 1,400 diseases.
Of the 1,400 diseases, 487 people were sick enough to require hospitalization and 19 died. While these numbers remain low when weighing against the overall U.S. population, in 2023, they will also double the number of hospitalizations and deaths.
