Celery distributed at Walmart locations in nearly 30 states has been recalled due to the potential risk of listeria contamination, as announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall was voluntarily initiated by California-based Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. after the Georgia Department of Agriculture conducted random sampling at a Georgia store, which returned positive results for listeria.
Listeriosis, an infection caused by listeria, can lead to symptoms such as fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. It poses a severe risk to vulnerable groups, including young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, where it can be fatal. Additionally, it has the potential to cause stillbirths and miscarriages in pregnant women.
So far, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the Marketside Celery Sticks available at Walmart with a UPC code of 6 81131 16151 0, according to the FDA. These celery sticks came in packs of four and had a sell-by date of March 23, though the FDA advised that consumers may have frozen the product for future use. The package is marked with lot code P047650.
Since the sell-by date has passed, this product is no longer available for purchase. The FDA advised consumers who have the product to dispose of it, clarifying that the warning does not extend to other products from Marketside or Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc.
The affected celery was distributed in multiple states, including Alabama, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
