Urgent recall of 40 types of bagged spinach due to traces of deadly listeria

Health authorities have warned against more than 40 types of packaged spinach after some were found to contain the deadly Listeria bacteria.

New York-based Solata Foods LLC has recalled seven brands of its nine-ounce bags of “fresh spinach” because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria that causes listeria.

The brands listed were Solata, Gaia, Full Circle, Farmer Direct, Uncle Vinny’s, Bogopa and Bulk. The table below shows all the affected products.

The products were distributed to local stores in the Newburgh, New York, area, according to the FDA, though the agency did not specify which ones. Many are also distributed through online grocers such as Instacart.

All packages have lot numbers #40606 and 11006 on the package and an expiration date of 06/20/24 and 06/24/24.

No illness has been reported.

The contamination was discovered after sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Market Food Inspectors and analysis revealed Listeria monocytogenes in a nine-ounce bag of Bogopa ‘Fresh Spinach’.

Listeria, also called listeriosis, is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

It can be found in moist environments, soil, water, decomposing vegetation and animals, and can survive refrigeration and other food preservation measures.

Many foods can harbor the germ, but it is usually found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, and ready-to-eat foods such as packaged sandwiches.

Cooked seafood, sausages and fish, including sushi and pre-cut fruit, also pose a risk.

Most people who eat food contaminated with Listeria do not become seriously ill, but in some cases it can cause confusion and seizures, miscarriages in pregnant women, and even death.

This can happen when the infection spreads beyond the intestine and can affect the central nervous system, which can cause numbness and seizures.

The CDC estimates that 1,600 Americans become infected with listeria each year and about 260 die.

Production of the contaminated product has been suspended and customers who purchased any of the affected products are urged to return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.