Another Batch Of Frozen Fruit Products Have Been Recalled For Listeria Risk
If you keep a stash of frozen fruit on hand for your morning smoothies, you may want to check your freezer. On the heels of a voluntary nationwide frozen fruit recall due to contaminated pineapple earlier this month, another voluntary recall has been issued for possible contamination with listeria monocytogenes, this time for mango chunks from SunOpta, an ingredient in a number of frozen fruit blends sold in Kroger food stores.
Townsend Farms, based in Oregon, issued a recall for several specific frozen fruit packages sold between November 6, 2022 and March 16, 2023. Packaged under the Private Selection label, the frozen fruit was sold in numerous states across the South and Midwest (AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV) at the retailers Baker's, Dillons, Food 4 Less, FoodsCo, Fry's, Gerbes, Jay C, Mariano's, Metro Market, Pay Less, Pick n' Save, Ralphs, Ruler, and Smith's.
Though no illnesses have yet been reported as a result of the potentially contaminated mango, customers are urged to check their freezers, as well as the FDA's website, for affected lot numbers and sell-by dates.
Which products are being recalled?
The Private Selection items subject to the voluntary recall are 48-ounce packages of Tropical Mango Chunks, Classic Fruit Medley, and Blueberries, Strawberries & Mangoes, as well as 16-ounce packages of Strawberry, Mango & Pineapple Blend. Consumers who have purchased the recalled frozen fruit should not consume it and either discard the packages or return them to the point of purchase for a full refund.
While, according to the Mayo Clinic, listeria monocytogenes may only cause temporary symptoms like fever, headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in healthy individuals, listeria bacteria can have serious health effects for people over the age of 65, those with compromised immune symptoms, or those who are pregnant.
Customers that purchased these products can also obtain a refund by calling Kroger Customer Connect at (800) 632-6900 and selecting Option 1, and consumers with questions about the recalled products can contact Townsend Farms by email at recalls@townsendfarms.com or by calling (503) 512-1317. Both service lines are staffed from Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and midnight EST and on the weekend from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST.