Over 400 food items including sandwiches have been recalled because they may contain listeria, the FDA said. They were sold in stores, vending machines, and on busy Amtrak lines.

Amber Middleton
Updated ·3 min read
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Over 400 food items including sandwiches have been recalled because they may contain listeria, the FDA said. They were sold in stores, vending machines, and on busy Amtrak lines.

  • Food items were recalled after listeria was found following environmental testing at a food company.

  • The wide range of products affected included sandwiches, salads, and yogurts.

  • Pregnant people, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

A food company has recalled over 400 products that may contain listeria — a bacteria that is particularly dangerous for pregnant people, newborns, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems — according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Baltimore-based Fresh Ideation Food Group LLC recalled 407 different products on Friday including sandwiches, salads, wraps, and yogurts sold under brand names including Bistro to Go and Quick & Fresh. They were sold in stores, vending machines, and during travel, the FDA said. The recall happened after environmental samples taken at the company tested positive for listeria.

Recalled products were distributed in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.

No illnesses caused by Fresh Ideation Food Group products have been reported.

While the products stretch across a range of brands, all recalled items have a Fresh Creative Cuisine label and have a fresh through or sell through date ranging from January 31 to February 6, 2023. A full list can be found on the FDA website.

The company told Insider: "This voluntary recall was initiated in an abundance of caution and represents the only recall in the company's history."

The products were sold on Amtrak lines

Some of the items were sold on the Acela and Northeast Regional Amtrak lines between January 24 and 29, Amtrak told Insider. These are two of its busiest lines, according to The New York Times.

Products including sandwiches, salads, snacks, yogurt, wraps, and "related products" were available on these trains and were removed after Fresh Ideation Food Group notified Amtrak.

"All products currently served onboard are completely safe to consume. We take the health and safety of our customers seriously and will continue working with our suppliers to ensure the safety of all our food products," Amtrak said.

A listeria infection can cause symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting

Food contaminated with listeria can cause a listeria infection, or listeriosis. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1,600 people in the US get listeriosis each year, and about 260 of them die.

Listeriosis is most likely to affect pregnant people, those who are over 65, and those with a weakened immune system. The CDC states that pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely to get listeriosis than the general population.

A listeria infection in the intestine can lead to diarrhea and vomiting and tends to last one to three days.

For pregnant people, symptoms tend to be milder, with some not noticing any. However, an infection can lead to miscarriages, stillbirth, and preterm labor.

If the bacteria spreads beyond the gut, the disease becomes invasive. The CDC says symptoms of invasive listeriosis include a fever, flu-like symptoms, headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.

Almost 5% of people infected with invasive listeriosis die, according to the CDC.

Read the original article on Insider