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Bagged Salad Linked to Listeria Outbreak

Publish Date: 2022, 01, 03

Following two separate outbreaks of Listeria, the Center for Disease Control, or CDC, is urging consumers not to consume recalled bagged salads as of December 20, 2021. The two outbreaks are linked to packaged salads from Fresh Express and Dole, both brands that are sold in popular supermarkets such as Target and Walmart. In the first outbreak, ten people have been hospitalized with one death and the second outbreak has hospitalized 12 people with two deaths.

If you have bought a bagged salad product from either of these brands recently, check your product code to see if it falls into the recalled products. The product code may be listed in the upper right corner of the front of the bag or on the back of the bag near the UPC barcode. If one of your recently purchased items fall into this category, the CDC urges you to return the item or dispose of the item immediately. Due to this recent outbreak, grocery stores who sell these bagged salads will be removing any product that falls into the potentially contaminated product code. Additionally, the CDC urges consumers to disinfect any surfaces or products that may have encountered the contaminated goods as Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and may travel to other food items.

Listeria is a serious bacterial infection that is food borne, meaning it travels through the food we consume. The symptoms associated with an outbreak of listeria includes headache, stiff neck and joints, and a fever. Symptoms typically arise 1-4 weeks after consumption of the contaminated food but may be present as early as one day or as late as 70 days after. Although not many cases arise of Listeria annually, this bacterium can be very dangerous to unborn babies, newborns, and elder people. Additionally, if Listeria goes untreated for a long time it can become meningitis and therefore have irreparable damage on your central nervous system and cells in general. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the skull. Meningitis is particularly dangerous to young children and the elderly as they typically have a weaker immune system. Some of the long-term effects of meningitis or long-term Listeria include seizures, paralysis, deafness and blindness.

If you have recently bought and consumed a salad product from Fresh Express or Dole and are experiencing signs of sickness such as stiff neck and joints, fever, or headaches, it is crucial you seek medical attention immediately and document what you consumed the weeks prior to your symptoms. After seeking medical attention, it is important to know your legal options. Calling the experienced attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C. may help in your pursuit of recovering financial losses by holding the company liable for the Listeria contamination. Call to set up a free consultation today.