Listeria Concerns Spur Salad Recall In Ohio, 18 Others

OHIO — Salad products sold under the Fresh Express private labels have been recalled in 19 states, including Ohio, because of possible contamination with listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious or fatal illnesses among vulnerable populations.

Streamwood, Illinois-based Fresh Express said its products were distributed to retailers in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.

They were sold under Fresh Express and the following labels:

• Bowl & Basket
• Giant Eagle
• Little Salad Bar
• Market District
• Marketside
• O Organics
• Signature Farms
• Simply Nature
• Weis Fresh From the Field
• Wellsley Farms

See the full list of recalled salad products.

Symptoms of listeriosis, as the infection is called, include fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions and diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, still births or premature delivery, officials said.

Anyone in the high risk categories who experiences flu-like symptoms after eating possibly contaminated food should seek medical care and tell their doctors about eating the contaminated food. The infection can be treated with antibiotics.