Trader Joe’s Veggies Recalled Over Listeria Concerns

Packaged vegetables, including some sold under the Trader Joe’s brand, were recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, CNN reported Tuesday.

The recall was issued by the company Growers Express and also impacts the Green Giant and Signature Farms brands. Affected products include butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini and vegetable bowls.

RECALL ALERT: Some packages of butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini and vegetable bowls sold under the brands Green Giant, Trader Joe's and Signature Farms have been recalled, according to the Food and Drug Administration https://t.co/8B856lJe77

— CNN (@CNN) July 2, 2019

“The safety of our consumers is our first priority,” Growers Express President Tom Byrne said in an announcement shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Monday.

Byrne said the company issued the recall after the Massachusetts Department of Health alerted it to the fact that a single sample had tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no reports of illness connected to the items, the recall notice said.

The Listeria bacteria can cause an infection that can be fatal for the very young, the very old and those with compromised immune systems. It can also cause pregnant people to miscarry. For otherwise healthy people, Listeria usually causes a short illness characterized by high fever, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches and stiffness.

The recalled items were produced at a facility in Biddeford, Maine and shipped to retail locations in several states. The recall impacts fresh vegetables only and does not include canned or frozen Green Giant products.

RECALL ALERT: Growers Express has announced the voluntary recall of fresh vegetable products due to potential Listeria contamination. Some of the products were sold in Pennsylvania under the Green Giant and Trader Joe's labels. https://t.co/EcexOnJbJC

— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) July 2, 2019

“We are deep sanitizing the entire facility and our line equipment, as well as conducting continued testing on top of our usual battery of sanitation and quality and safety tests before resuming production,” Byrne said.

The recalled items had a “Best If Used By” date of June 26 to June 29.

CBS News provided a by-store summary of the recalled veggies:

Big Y Foods
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Sweet Potato Crumbles, 1 lb.
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, 1 lb.
Green Giant Fresh, Butternut Diced, 12 oz.

Bozzutos
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Sweet Potato Crumbles, 1 lb.
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, 1 lb.

C&S
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, 1 lb.
Green Giant Fresh, Butternut Diced, 12 oz.
Green Giant Fresh, Butternut Cubed, 2 lb.

Food Lion
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, 1 lb.

Four Seasons
Green Giant Fresh, Ramen Bowl, 7.4 oz.

Native Maine
Growers Express, Butternut Peeled, 10 lb.

Procacci
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Sweet Potato Crumbles, 1 lb.

Ruby Robinson (PFG)
Growers Express, Butternut Peeled, 10 lb.

Shaws
Signature Farms, Cauliflower Crumbles, 1 lb.
Green Giant Fresh, Cauliflower Sweet Potato Crumbles, 1 lb.
Green Giant Fresh, Ramen Bowl, 7.4 oz.
Green Giant Fresh, Butternut Diced, 12 oz.

Stop & Shop
Green Giant Fresh, Zucchini Noodles, 10.5 ounces

Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Spirals, 10.5 oz.
Trader Joe’s Zucchini Spirals, 10.5 oz.

“Consumers who purchased any of the products … from the affected sell by dates or with an unreadable date code are urged not to consume them and to throw the products away,” the recall notice advised.

Correction: A previous version of this article wrote the name Green Giant incorrectly.