In a statement, a spokesperson for HMC Farms announced that the company issued a voluntary recall of the fruits on November 17, citing the potential for them to be contaminated with listeria.
More than 10 batches of the farm's fruit were collected from states like Colorado, California, and Florida in recent days. Other states where people have been sickened or killed by the tainted fruits include Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Kansas.
The affected fruit batches were sold between May 1 and November 15 of 2022, as well as between May 1 and November 15 of 2023.
It is possible that the fruits in question were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, reports indicate, a type of bacteria that can harm people who are pregnant, over the age of 65, or who have weakened immune systems.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the affected fruits were sold in two-pound bags branded with either "HMC Farms" or "Signature Farms." Individual fruit bearing a sticker with "USA-E-U" imprinted on it may also be affected.
The CDC is urging all people everywhere who may have purchased contaminated fruit products from HMC Farms to immediately throw it out and cleanse all surfaces, including inside the refrigerator, of potential contamination.
(Related: Back in August, the FDA recalled green organic kiwifruit from 14 states due to suspected contamination with listeria.)
Two ice cream brands were recalled this year in U.S. due to listeria
Ice cream brand Wilcox is also recalling products over a similar scare involving listeriosis, which is said to be hiding inside cartons of the company's Mint Chocolate Chip flavor.
Every year, about 1,600 people in the United States contract listeriosis from something. Of these, about 260 people end up dying from the illness.
Wilcox is recalling Mint Chocolate Chip cartons that were sent out primarily to grocery stores in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed.
"Consumer safety and consumer confidence in our product is of the utmost importance to us," a spokesperson for Wilcox Ice Cream stated.
"There have been no reported illnesses from this. We are working with the Vermont Department of Agriculture and the FDA very closely to determine the root cause of the bacteria. We have been praised by those agencies for our in-depth and prompt response to this situation."
Having been in operation for six generations spanning 95 years, Wilcox says it has never before had to or felt the need to issue a product recall. This marks the first time in the company's history that one has ever occurred.
"Our plant, equipment, surfaces, environment and drains have all tested negative for Listeria," the spokesperson further clarified. "That means that our cleaning and sanitation steps are working. All products are being removed from our 4000-square-foot freezer today."
"The Wilcox Family and Wilcox team remains extremely committed to all of our valued customers. We never want to go through this again. We are working tirelessly and efficiently to get our plant back into production."
Customers who purchased potentially affected cartons are being told to take a picture showing the quantity of product and where it was purchased, along with contact details, in order to receive credit compensation.
The Wilcox recall marks the second involving listeria and ice cream that has occurred in the U.S. this year. The first one sparked an FDA investigation into Real Kosher brand Soft Serve On The Go after one person in New York and another in Pennsylvania were hospitalized after eating it.
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