The FDA has issued its most severe recall yet over fears of contamination in popular nuts, warning there is a “reasonable likelihood of death.”
California-based Stutz Packing Company has recalled 1-pound packages of its shelled walnuts after discovering the products contained listeria, a deadly bacteria that prompted a deli recall that has killed three people.
The FDA considered the recall a Class I, which is “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious health consequences or death.”
The company initiated a recall of more than 2,500 boxes last month after routine sampling of the nuts revealed the finished products contained listeria.
Stutz Packing Company voluntarily recalled 1-pound packages of its shelled walnuts
Routine sampling of the nuts revealed that the finished products contained listeria.
Stutz Packing Company said the nuts were distributed to warehouses in Texas and Arizona, which then distribute them to food banks, schools, shelters and prison feeding systems.
The company has stopped production and distribution of the products and will continue to investigate the contamination with the FDA.
No other nut products from the company have been affected and no illnesses have been reported.
The Stutz recall came just days after Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled more than 7 million pounds of its meat and poultry products after a sample also tested positive for listeria.
Three people have died from Listeria infections linked to Boar’s Head meat sold nationwide at places like Target, Walmart and other grocery stores.
The CDC revealed last week that the latest victim was from Virginia, while the other deaths occurred in Illinois and New Jersey.
Since the last update in late July, nine more cases have been reported, bringing the total to 43. All 43 people have been hospitalized.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause listeriosis, a bacterial infection that can lead to serious illness and death.
Warning signs of a listeria infection include nausea, cramps, diarrhea and constipation, which usually appear within hours to three days after consuming contaminated food.
More than 90 percent of patients are hospitalized, the FDA says.
In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to the nervous system and cause meningitis (inflammation of the fluid surrounding the brain) and sepsis.
Both can be fatal.
People with weakened immune systems and those over 60 are at particularly high risk of contracting the infection, officials say.
Pregnant women are also at increased risk of miscarriage if they contract listeria because the bacteria can spread to the fetus.
It is estimated that approximately 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year in the United States, while about 260 people die.