BrightFarms Spinach And Salad Kits Are Being Recalled For Listeria Risk

BrightFarms released a statement on January 17, 2024, explaining that some of its spinach and salad kits are being voluntarily recalled due to a potential Listeria-related health risk. No illnesses have been reported to date, but if you have purchased one of the listed potentially contaminated products, you should discard it immediately.

Products affected by this recall include BrightFarms Baby Spinach, Mediterranean Crunch Kit, Chickpea Caesar Crunch Kit, Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit, and Southwest Chipotle. The best-by dates for these products range from 1/11/2024 to 1/20/2024, and it is advised to discard any of these products that fall within that date range. The recall was announced after routine testing of the product done by Element Farms flagged a positive result for Listeria. 

Potential cross-contamination between the listed products resulted in the decision to pull these specific items from shelves. If you have purchased one of the affected products, you can present a photo of the product or the receipt at the place of purchase to receive a full refund. If you have any questions you can contact BrightFarms via phone or email at 1-866-857-8745 or info@brightfarms.com with the subject line "Recall."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of Listeria infection (also called Listeriosis) can include fever, headache, stiff neck, vomiting, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, and seizures. Typically, Listeriosis is a mild infection, with symptoms that aren't too severe but this can vary from person to person. It's especially dangerous for pregnant, elderly, or immune-compromised individuals. 

In most cases, the body can fight off the infection on its own. However, in severe cases, medical attention is needed. If you've consumed a potentially contaminated spinach product you may begin to notice symptoms within a few hours after eating it. It can take up to three days for symptoms to start showing, so keep a close eye on your health or the health of whoever ate the product. 

If the body is unable to fight off the Listeria, more severe symptoms can begin to show anywhere from three days to three months after infection according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If you or someone you know has consumed the potentially contaminated product and is beginning to show symptoms of Listeriosis, you should seek medical help right away.