Trader Joe’s salads, Mary’s Harvest wraps recalled for risk from corn

Mary’s Harvest Fresh Foods Inc. is recalling its branded wrap sandwiches and Trader Joe’s brand salads because they include corn from a third-party supplier that might be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Several other companies have posted recalls this week citing a potentially contaminated corn ingredient from a third-party supplier. None of the recalling companies have named their corn suppliers.

Based in Portland, OR, Mary’s Harvest Fresh Foods produced the wraps and salads from Oct. 5 through 13, according to a recall noticed posted yesterday by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The company shipped more than 900 pounds of the recalled products to retailers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Consumers can determine whether they have the recalled products in their homes by checking for the following label information:

• 7-oz. clear plastic wrapped packages containing “Mary’s Harvest Southwest Chicken Wrap w/ Rib Meat” and use-by dates from 10/15/18 through 10/23/18.
• 11-oz. clear plastic clamshell packages containing “Trader Jose’s Mexicali Inspired Salad With Chili Seasoned Chicken” and best-by dates from 10/15/18 through 10/19/18.

“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” according to the recall notice.

The products subject to this recall have the establishment number “P-39928” or “40310-M” printed inside the USDA inspection mark on their labels.

As of yesterday, there had not been any confirmed reports of illnesses, but it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection to develop. Infection from Salmonella bacteria usually takes 12 to 72 hours to develop.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled salads or wraps should monitor themselves for signs of foodborne illness in the coming days and weeks.

The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Otherwise healthy adults often recover without medical treatment. However, people in high-risk groups — which include children, the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with compromised immune systems — can develop serious infections and other complications that require hospitalization.

Listeriosis can cause all of the symptoms seen with Salmonella infections, plus fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Infections from Listeria monocytogenes are even more dangerous for people in high risk groups than Salmonella infections.

Listeriosis is an invasive infection that can easily spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Serious and sometimes fatal infections develop in older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems.

People in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics, but proper diagnosis requires specific lab tests.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

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