Fruit Sold in Walmart, Costco Recalled Over Bacteria Fears

Fruit Sold in Walmart, Costco Recalled Over Bacteria Fears

A Yonkers-based company is recalling thousands of cartons of fruit sold nationwide in stores like Walmart and Costco over concerns about bacterial contamination that could cause potentially deadly infections.

Jac. Vandenberg, Inc., recalled 1,727 cartons of fresh peaches, 1,207 cartons of fresh nectarines and 365 cartons of fresh plums because they could be contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria that can develop into Listeriosis, which can be deadly for young children or people with vulnerable immune systems.

Federal officials say the affected products were shipped to major supermarket chains and some smaller retailers in more than a dozen states, including New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. See the full list of affected states and stores here.

No illnesses have been reported to date because of the issue, which was detected during routine sampling, officials said. Anyone who may have purchased the affected fruit is advised to return it for a full refund. Anyone with questions can contact the company at compliance@jacvandenberg.com. 

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

Healthy people may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

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