The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reported that a mushroom farm has initiated a recall for enoki mushrooms due to potential listeria contamination.
Enoki King Mushroom Farm, located in Ventura, California, also made the same announcement. The recall affects lot 4877 of their 5.3-ounce packages of Enoki Mushrooms.
The contaminated mushrooms were distributed from California and New York, and they were sold via produce distributors or wholesalers to stores across the nation, according to the FDA.
The mushrooms might contain listeria monocytogenes, which can lead to severe and sometimes deadly infections especially in young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
While healthy people exposed to this bacterium may suffer temporary symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, listeria can result in miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women, the FDA warns.
At this time, there have been no reports of illness linked to these mushrooms, the FDA confirmed.
The potential contamination was identified after the Maryland State Department of Health conducted tests and detected listeria monocytogenes in the 5.3-ounce mushroom packages.
Identification and Details about Listeria
The FDA states that the affected mushrooms are packaged in clear plastic with “Enoki Mushroom” labeled prominently in both English and French.
These packages also feature lot code 4877 printed in black on the front, and a UPC code 860011505600 on the back.
Recognizing Listeria Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes listeria infection as “rare, but serious.”
Listeria can cause invasive infections, where bacteria spread beyond the digestive system, or intestinal illnesses. Symptoms from invasive illnesses generally appear within two weeks after consuming contaminated food, according to the CDC.
Common symptoms of invasive listeria infection include:
- Fever
- Flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and tiredness
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Loss of coordination
- Seizures
Symptoms from intestinal illnesses usually manifest within a day after consuming contaminated food and may last one to three days. These symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting.
The FDA advises customers who purchased the mushrooms with lot code 4877 to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. People can also reach the company at (718) 290-6617 from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
