Recalled Vegetable Sold In Ohio Poses Risk Of 'Serious' Infection

A popular vegetable sold in stores around Ohio has been recalled over "serious" health concerns.

Braga Fresh issued an advisory over a specific lot of its 12-ounce bags of washed and ready-to-eat Marketside Broccoli Florets over possible listeria contamination following a positive test result during a random sampling, according to a recall notice shared December 31 by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

The affected products have the UPC code 6 81131 32884 5, Lot Code BFFG327A6 and a "Best If Used By" date of December 10, 2024. While the best-by date has expired and the products are no longer sold in stores, some consumers may have the produce stored away in freezers and should toss them out.

The recalled products were distributed to Walmart stores in 20 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. According to the FDA, no other Marketside or Braga Fresh produce products were included in the recall.

Listeria monocytogenes is the bacteria that can cause listeria, leading to "serious and sometimes fatal infections" that can cause severe illness in high-risk groups like children, the elderly, those who are pregnant and persons with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA. Symptoms can include fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea.

Anyone who has purchased the affected product should not consume it and throw it out immediately. For more information about the recall, visit fda.gov.