ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Check your fridge — salad kits recently sold at Publix have been recalled over possible Listeria contamination.
Fresh Express Incorporated issued a voluntary recall for three varieties of salad kits produced at the company's Morrow, Georgia facility:
- Fresh Express Caesar Chopped Kit with product code G075
- Fresh Express Chopped Kit Chipotle Cheddar with product code G075
- Publix Makoto Honey Ginger Salad Kit with product code G075
Both Fresh Express kits have a use-by date of 4/2/2023 while the Publix kit has a use-by date of 3/31/23.
The recall was issued after a random sample test of a salad kit collected by the Georgia Department of Agriculture tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, according to a news release from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
The good news is, no illnesses have been reported and the recalled kits are no longer for sale.
Listeria poses the biggest threat to pregnant people, elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA.
"Listeria is very much linked to fetal loss," Dr. Jill Roberts, an epidemiologist with USF Health, said. "If you're outside of those particular groups, your risk of Listeria is pretty darn low of being a serious disease. That said, you should be aware to avoid any kinds of contaminated products."
The most common symptoms of Listeria infection in healthy adults are high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the FDA said. The bacteria can, however, cause serious or deadly infections in young children, elderly people or people with weakened immune systems.
If you find a salad kit in your fridge that you need to throw away, you can contact the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. for a refund. Refunds are also available at the grocery store where the product was purchased.