Fuji Food Products, Inc. announced Tuesday the voluntary recall of ready-to-eat sushi, salads and spring rolls sold to select retailers and distributors along the East Coast and Upper Midwest. The voluntary recall is in response to a notification by the Food and Drug Administration of the potential for product contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. To date, public health officials have not reported any illness associated with these products.
A news release from the FDA says Fuji Food Products is issuing this recall out of an abundance of caution. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms, such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, but the FDA says listeria infections can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The FDA says the problem was discovered in a Fuji facility in Massachusetts during a routine inspection. Fuji ceased production and distribution of their products in this facility as the FDA and the company continue to investigate what caused the problem. Fuji Food Products has never before recalled any of its products.
“As responsible processors of safe, fresh food for nearly 30 years, we are addressing this problem vigorously and we apologize to those who are affected by it,”” says Fuji Food Products CEO Farrell Hirsch. “We will restart operation only after we have eliminated the cause and the FDA certifies that our facility is once again free of possible contamination.”
The recalled products were sold and/or distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Retailers that sold the products include 7 Eleven, Walgreens, Food Lion, Hannaford, Trader Joe’s, Giant Eagle, Porkys, Bozzutos, Supreme Lobster and Superior Foods.
Products included in the recall are packed in plastic trays with clear lids and sell-by dates on the labels. Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products should dispose of the product in an appropriate waste container.
According to Trader Joe’s voluntary recall notice, the store’s brand of food items listed in the recall include ready-to-eat meals of California Rolls, Classic California Rolls with Brown Rice & Avocado, Spicy California Rolls, Tempura Shrimp Crunch Rolls, Tofu Spring Rolls, Shrimp Spring Rolls, Smoked Salmon Philly Roll, Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl, Banh Mi Inspired Noodle Bowl and the Queso Fundido Spicy Cheese Dip.
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