Frozen vegetable and fruits involved in big Listeria recall

Listeria from ill people were confirmed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

On April 23, 2016, CRF Frozen Foods recalled 11 frozen vegetable products because they may be contaminated with Listeria. On May 2, 2016, CRF Frozen Foods expanded the initial recall to include all organic and traditional frozen vegetable and fruit products processed in its Pasco, Washington facility since May 1, 2014. Recalled items were sold in plastic bags under various brand names, nationwide and in Canada. A full list of recalled products is available on the FDA website.

Listeria specimens were collected from September 13, 2013 to March 28, 2016. Two illnesses were reported in 2016. The remaining six illnesses reported during 2013-2015 were identified through a retrospective review of the PulseNet database. Ill people range in age from 56 years to 86, with a median age of 76. Seventy-five percent of ill people are female. All eight (100%) ill people were hospitalized, including one from Maryland and one from Washington who died, although listeriosis was not considered to be a cause of death for either person.

Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet, coordinated by CDC, is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories. PulseNet performs DNA "fingerprinting" on Listeria bacteria isolated from ill people by using techniques called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS).

A total of eight people infected with the outbreak strains of Listeria have been reported from three states since September 13, 2013. A list of states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Case Count Map page.

The outbreak can be illustrated with a chart showing the number of people who were diagnosed each month. This chart is called an epidemic curve or epi curve.

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence available at this time indicates that frozen vegetables produced by CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington and sold under various brand names are one likely source of illnesses in this outbreak. This is a complex, ongoing investigation, and updates will be provided when more information is available.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm498841.htm