Listeria Concerns Spur Salad Recall In Wisconsin, 18 Others

WISCONSIN — Salad products sold under the Fresh Express private labels have been recalled in 19 states, including Wisconsin, 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.

Healthy people who eat listeria-contaminated products typically experience no or only short-term symptoms, including a high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abominable pain and diarrhea; it also may cause miscarriage or stillbirth among pregnant women.

Serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in young children, frail or older people, and others with weakened immune systems.

The company issued the voluntary recall after the Michigan Department of Agriculture received a positive result for listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test of a single package of Fresh Express 9-ounce Sweet Hearts salad mix manufactured at the company's Streamwood, Illinois, facility.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 10 illnesses associated with the salad products.

Anyone who has one of the recalled products should discard it. To obtain a refund or for more information, consumers may call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at 800-242-5472 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Refunds are also available where purchased.