One U.S. business is recalling more than 5,000 pounds of packaged broccoli salad thanks to a possible Listeria contamination problem. The potentially defective product was shipped to grocery and food sellers throughout the Northeast United States. The issue at hand is the potential for the packets of dressing contained in each broccoli salad package to contain Listeria bacteria.
Taylor Farms contacted the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service regarding the 109,000 cases of broccoli salad, which is refrigerated and marketed as being ready-to-eat. The cases of “Taylor Farms Broccoli Crunch with Bacon and Dressing,” which were produced from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23, were shipped to Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts and Maryland.
As of the date of the recall, there have been no illnesses reported due to the product’s potential contamination. However, the Listeria bacteria has the potential to cause extremely serious and harmful illness in many different groups of people. The elderly, pregnant women, infants and those with a compromised immune system could see harmful or even deadly effects from the bacteria. If caught early, Listeria is generally easy to treat with antibiotics and careful attention to hydration to help the patient avoid dehydration.
Anyone who has been exposed to Listeria or any other sort of food-borne bacteria via a manufactured product could potentially have grounds for legal action and may wish to consult a knowledgeable attorney. Seeking compensation may help the affected individual and his or her family members recoup wages lost due to time off for illness as well as help offset some of the costs of medical expenses associated with treatment.
Source: CNN, “Broccoli salad recalled for possible Listeria”, October 27, 2013