


A third party supplier to Sunrise Growers, Inc., provided pineapple that may have been contaminated ... [+]
What’s all the Listeria about some of the frozen fruit sold at Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Aldi’s and AWG? Well, these stores have been selling frozen fruit products that have being voluntarily recalled by Sunrise Growers, Inc., a subsidiary of SunOpta, Inc. The recall is due to pineapple provided by a third-party supplier that may not have been so-fine-apple. As a June 21 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement indicated, the pineapple could actually have Listeria monocytogenes, which would not be very fruitful to eat.
In fact, allowing Listeria monocytogenes to get into your gastrointestinal tract could be a gut-wrenching experience. If a someone asks you, “Would you like some Listeria with that,” just say “No” and “Please go away.” The bottom line is that a Listeria infection can lead to your bottom being on the toilet a whole lot as abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea can result. Other possible symptoms include high fevers and severe headaches, as I’ve described for Forbes previously. These aren’t exactly “give me some of that” experiences.
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But the even greater concern is when the bacteria goes beyond your gut and into your bloodstream and central nervous system. That’s when things get really invasive in a condition called invasive listeriosis. Having invasive listeriosis kind of really sucks because around 20% to 30% of those who have developed such a condition end up dying. You are more likely to develop invasive listeriosis if you are a young child, an older adult, have a chronic medical condition or otherwise have a weaker immune system.
Things could get even more complicated if you have a bun in the oven, meaning that your pregnant and not that you are literally baking a piece of bread. A Listeria infection can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, or life-threatening infections in the newborn. That’s why when you are pregnant, you are advised to avoid unpasteurized soft cheeses, such as queso fresco and brie, unheated deli meats, cold cuts, or hot dogs, premade deli salads, refrigerated pâté or other types of meat spreads, refrigerated smoked fish, raw or lightly cooked sprouts, melon that hasn’t been in the refrigerator, and raw milk products.
And, regardless of whether you are pregnant, younger, older, or have any condition that may weaken you immune system, you should avoid any of the following products included in the Sunrise Growers recall as listed by the FDA:
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So check your packages, meaning your packages of frozen fruit that are presumably sitting in your freezer and not your pants. Look for any of the product names listed above. If you find any such products, cross-check the lot codes and “Best by” dates on the product packages with those provided by the June 21 FDA announcement. If there are any matches, consider the “Best by” date to be never. Either return the products for a refund or discard them. And discard doesn’t mean bring to the next company potluck.
Sunrise Growers has provided an Consumers seeking information may email address (recall@sunrisegrowers.com) and phone number (1-888-490-5591) if you recall any questions about this situation. They’ve also “pineapple expressed” that they will no longer do business with the third-party supplier that provided the potentially tainted pineapples.
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