Potential Listeria Contamination Leads to Food Recall for Stone Fruit

A Cutler, California company that packages fresh fruit in bulk has issued a voluntary food recall for several stone fruits, including peaches and nectarines, due to a possible listeria contamination.

Wawona Packing Company has voluntarily issued a food recall for certain lots of peaches (white and yellow), nectarines (white and yellow), pluots, and plums, which were sold at retail stores under the brand names Harvest Sweet or Sweet 2 Eat.

The stone fruit under product recall was sold to Trader Joe’s, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Sam’s Club, and Costco, among other major retailers.

The voluntary food recall was issued based on internal company testing, which revealed listeria on some processing equipment. The company says that the equipment has been removed, and the processing plant sterilized, and there have been no reports of illness from consumers acquiring listeria by eating the fruit.

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.

Defective Products Can Lead to Health or Food Recalls

Every year, thousands of consumers sustain serious injuries from defective products, whether broken bones from a car accident, or a serious illness from a food-borne pathogen.Many of these injuries could be avoided if the manufacturers or distributors of these products took additional steps to ensure consumer safety. Defective products that commonly cause injuries include medical devices, pharmaceutical products, food recalls, and other defective products such as toys, cars and automotive parts.

There are a number of reasons that defective products make it to our shelves:

• Defective manufacturing
• Inadequate testing
• Food-borne pathogens
• Design defects
• Marketing Misrepresentation

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 Strom Law Firm Protects Citizens Harmed by Outbreaks, Including Listeria

To protect yourself and your family, it’s important to know what products have been recalled because they are defective, contaminated, or unsafe. Federal agencies such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the CPSC (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) frequently issue recalls for medical devices, drugs, and products that may be harmful to consumers.

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 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