If you’ve bought a bag of green beans or butternut squash at Walmart recently, you may need to take it back or throw it away.
Southern Specialties, a food grower and distributor based in Pompano Beach, Florida, issued the recall after listeria monocytogenes was found on a table surface one of its suppliers during a routine test.All of the products processed on that supplier’s repacking line have been recalled.
The good news is that most of the products in the recall were caught before they were shipped; however, about 200 cases (five bags per case) were shipped to one retail distribution center.
The recalled items have likely ended up in stores in nine states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.The bags below have been recalled:
- 16-oz. bags of Marketside butternut squash that have a Best If Used By date of March 6, 2019, a UPC of 681131122351, and lot numbers of 83940-319 or 83940-139.
- 12-oz. bags of green beans that have a Best If Used By date of March 8, 2019; UPC of 681131328869, and lot numbers of 83928-628 or 83932-123)
- 32-oz. bags of green beans that have a Best If Used By date of March 9, 2019; UPC of 681131457385, and lot codes of 83931-123 or 83939-124).
“If you believe you consumed one of the recalled products and you feel ill, seek medical attention,” Walmart states on their website. “If you have the recalled products in your possession, please do not consume them.”
Listeria is a serious disease that causes symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate about 1,600 people get listeriosis each year in the U.S., with about 260 fatal cases.
Walmart is allowing customers to return the recalled items at their stores, or you can dispose of them in the trash.To learn more about the recall, check out the video below.