Sprouts Recalled Due To Possible Listeria

April 10, 2009
Health officials are dealing with yet another food product recall because of possible contamination.

Amalgamated Produce, Inc. of Bridgeport, Connecticut, has announced a voluntary recall today of its Specialty Farms, Vermont Sprout House, Nature's Promise and BroccoSprouts ( sprout items with sell by date codes of March 31 through April 27, 2009.

The sprouts are being recalled because they may have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which is 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.

There have been no cases of Listeriosis reported to date in connection with these products and API is issuing this recall as a precaution.

Amalgamated Produce, Inc. said it voluntarily recalled these sprouts after laboratory analysis in a finished product sample collected by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets tested positive.

The following describes the products that are being recalled. All these products have a sell by date code from March 31 through April 27, 2009. All these items are net weight 4 ounces, with the noted exception of Nature's Promise Organic Alfalfa 8 ounce.

The items are all in plastic containers, except for the Nature's Promise 8 ounce organic alfalfa which is in a plastic bag. Products have been distributed in the following states; New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont,Maine, Pennsylvania and Delaware.