Thinking of buying some broccoli florets? Check where it is from first. (Photo: Getty Images)
Oh Mann. This may affect your plans to cover yourself in broccoli florets.
Mann Packing Co., Inc. is voluntarily recalling over a hundred types of its vegetable products sold in the United States and Canada, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They’re doing it to prevent mass Listeria or even some Listeria. The concern is that some products may have been contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.
Keep in mind that no Mann-ly vegetable-related illnesses have been reported yet. An announcement by Mann Packing said that the recall is being done “out of an abundance of caution,” a phrase commonly used in recall notices. That means you don’t necessarily have to “floret” to the hospital if you happened to have accidentally eaten one of the recalled broccoli floret products. Not all of the recalled products may have been contaminated.
However, if you can, you should immediately return or discard any of the products on the recall list provided by the the Mann Packing announcement. The list included of range of different vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, green beans, cabbage, kale, and salad mixes that are sold under various Mann labels and Del Monte, HEB, HEB Organic, Hungryroot, Kroger Organic, Marketside, Margketside Organic, O Organics, Signature Farms, Sysco Imperial, Sysco Natural, and Trader Joe’s labels. So if you are buying any vegetables, you may want to compare your shopping list with the Mann’s list.
The recall covers products that have “Best If Enjoyed By” dates from October 11, 2019 to November 16, 2019. If any products were indeed contaminated with Listeria, you could replace their labels with “Diarrhea If Enjoyed By,” because Listeria most often causes a couple days of fever, diarrhea, and feeling, well, pretty poopy in more ways than one.
Here is a computer illustration of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, the causative agent of the … [+]
If you are pregnant, such a Listeria infection may result in additional complications such as miscarriages, premature deliveries, stillbirths, and infections in the newborn. Listeria risk is a reason why pregnant women are advised not to eat soft cheeses, refrigerated pates, meat spreads, or smoked seafood.
Whether or not you are pregnant, things could get much worse if the bacteria were to get into your bloodstream or central nervous system. If Listeria reaches your nervous system, there is a good chance (20-30%) that you won’t survive, which is not good. Your likelihood of such complications goes up if you are a young kid, an older adult, or someone with a weakened immune system. I’ve already written about Listeria twice this year for Forbes. Once, when, gasp, avocados were being recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, and a second time when an outbreak occurred linked to deli meats and cheeses. So you can check these previous articles for more on what Listeria can do to you.
Although no reported illnesses have occurred yet, it can take quite a while (three to 70 days) after swallowing the bacteria for symptoms to appear. If you are wondering how to return any of the products, either contact the retailer where you bought the products or use the contact information provided by the Mann Packing announcement. If you choose to discard the product, make sure that you use an appropriate and safe way to do so, which means keeping it from anything that may eventually touch your mouth.