Green onions are being recalled after a product sample was found to be contaminated with salmonella, bacteria that can cause serious or fatal infection among some people.
Church Brothers are voluntarily recalling 1,271 cases of green onions sold under the brands Church Brothers, Imperial Fresh and Trader Joe’s over fears they may be contaminated with salmonella.
The bacteria were discovered in a product sample by the Canadia Food Inspection Agency, and then reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who announced the recall on Friday, October 18.
The products were distributed to stores and food-service customers in Canada and 11 states across the U.S.: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal reactions among certain groups of people, including young children, elderly adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Among other reactions, eating food contaminated with salmonella can cause typical food poisoning symptoms, including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
No cases of illnesses connected to this recall have as yet been reported to Church Brothers Farms, which the FDA has said is working with customers to ensure rapid compliance with the recall.
If customers discover they have recalled green onions in their kitchens, the vegetables should be discarded and not consumed, the FDA has advised.
The affected products bear the lot code CB272378 in the front of the clear plastic bag packaging, if sold under the Church Brothers or Imperial Fresh brands.
The recalled green onions that were sold at Trader Joe’s were packaged in a branded bag, and the same lot code can be found on the back of the packet, alongside the pack date 092524.
Consumers with questions or concerns about the recall are being advised to contact Church Brothers Farms on their consumer hotline, 1-877-590-0428, or email them at [email protected].
Newsweek has approached Church Brothers Farms for comment via email.
Other recent recalls include 12 million pounds of BrucePac ready-to-eat meat sold under different brand names, that may be contaminated with listeria bacteria.
The FDA has also announced a recall of ice cream sold by Today’s Frozen Desserts due to undeclared food colorings.
And, several non-food items have been recalled, including antidepressants, vitamins and joint pain supplements.
Do you have a tip on a food story that Newsweek should be covering? Is there a health concern that’s worrying you? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.
