FDA Ties Listeria Outbreak to Apples, Issues Food Recall

On January 9th, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it had conducted tests on several food products after a major listeria outbreak was tied to prepackaged caramel apples, and the safety agency found that California-grown apples were the cause of the problem. The FDA has issued a food recall for Bidart Brother’s apples, which have the same strains of listeria on them as those found in the caramel apple listeria outbreak.

“The results are devastating to the Bidart family,” says Leonard Bidart, President Bidart Bros. “From the moment we learned of the issue, we committed ourselves to cooperating completely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the California Department of Public Health.”

The food recall specifically covers Bidart Bros’s Gala and Granny Smith apples. While the food recall is still voluntary, both the FDA and the apple company recommend that consumers follow the FDA’s instructions and get rid of those apples, as they could have listeria.

Currently, 32 people in 11 states have contracted listeriosis from consuming listeria-contaminated apples, and 31 of those people have required hospitalization. Of those who contracted listeria from the apples, 7 people have died and one pregnant woman miscarried as a result of the infection. Unusually, three cases of older children developed meningitis related to listeria infection. None of the three children died, and the investigators believe that the infection occurred in that age group because they are the most likely to eat candied apples.

Listeria can cause a potentially fatal infection in those with compromised immune systems such as older adults, pregnant women, and young children. People with stronger immune systems could experience symptoms such as headache, stiffness, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Listeria can pass to the fetus in pregnant women, causing miscarriage. According to the CDC, there were 1,651 cases of listeriosis nationally between 2009 and 2011 – the infection was fatal in 21% of the reported cases.

The Strom Law Firm Protects Citizens Harmed by Outbreaks, Including Listeria

Consumers that have been harmed by defective products such as drugs, medical devices, improperly-sealed food, or other products, may be eligible to receive legal remedies.

The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm keep a close watch on recalls of dangerous and defective products in the US. We aim to protect our clients’ health and safety, and hold manufacturers to the highest possible standard of safety. Product recalls are especially important because defective drugs, medical devices, food, and toys can seriously injure or even kill consumers. If you or a loved one have experienced severe, life-limiting side effects from a defective food, product or drug, and believe that your pain stems from a product, drug, or food recall such as a Listeria food recall that came too late, you may be entitled to compensation. The Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today. 803.252.4800