Due to a potential widespread listeria contamination, a New York-based fruit distributor is recalling peaches, plums, and nectarines sold in 18 different states across the U.S. The recall was issued Thursday by Jac. Vandenberg Inc. of Yonkers, New York, after a random sampling revealed traces of listeria. The recall includes more than 1,700 cartons of peaches, 1,200 cartons of nectarines, and 365 cartons of plums due to possible cross-contamination listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause serious and possibly fatal infections in the young, elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the fruit was distributed to retailers in the following states: Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia.
A few supermarkets posted recall notices as early as Friday—the Portland Press Herald reports that Hannaford, a New England chain, stopped selling peaches and other fruit on Friday afternoon and warned customers immediately. Walmart is one of the biggest retailers affected by the recall; stores in multiple states have already started pulling fruit from their shelves. Other stores affected include Aldi, Costco, Market Basket, and New York City's Fairway Market.
The FDA says it’s working on identifying every piece of fruit affected, and more impacted supermarkets could soon be named.
If you've recently purchased peaches, plums, or nectarines in the states named above, there's a way to check if you should dispose of the fruit. The peaches and nectarines in question are sold in bulk with a PLU sticker bearing the following codes: 4044, 3035, 4378, and all of them were raised and harvested in Chile.
At Aldi, the fruit is sold in a 2-pound bag under the Rio Duero brand name, and are packaged with the following retail codes: EAN# 7804650090281, 7804650090298, and 7804650090304. In Costco, nectarines were sold in a bulk 4-pound plastic package also under the Rio Duero brand name.
No illnesses have been reported due to this potential outbreak as of this morning—for more information, click here for the FDA's official notice. We'll update this post with more information as it becomes available.
