Wisconsin-based Jack and the Green Sprouts Inc. recalled its 5-ounce packages of alfalfa sprouts that expired on Jan. 29, as the product may be contaminated with listeria, the FDA reported.
Jack and the Green Sprouts Inc., of River Falls, Wisconsin, has recalled its 5-ounce packages of alfalfa sprouts that expired on Jan. 29 of this year, saying they have the potential to be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
The listeria organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, or in frail or elderly people, or in those with weakened immune systems.
The company announced the sprouts recall on Feb. 7 – and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the notice on Feb. 8 on its website.
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“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women,” the FDA noted on its site.
The 5-ounce packages were sold in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa at grocery stores and local co-ops, the FDA noted.
The product comes in a 5-ounce clear plastic package marked with lot #687 UPC #763247198915 on the top, the company reported.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the alfalfa sprouts concern.
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“An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The FDA said the potential for contamination of the alfalfa sprouts was noted after routine testing by the state of Minnesota – although Jack and the Green Sprout’s tests from an independent lab had negative results.
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Out of an abundance of caution, the company is asking consumers to throw away any of the expired 5-ounce packages that carry lot number 687.
Alfalfa sprouts are a “more nutritious alternative to lettuce, with a great crunchy texture,” the company notes on its website.
Alfalfa is also “high in enzymes that help to increase the body’s ability to eliminate toxins while improving digestion.”
Products from Jack and the Green Sprouts are found “throughout the Midwest in local supermarkets, specialty markets (such as co-op’s), and wholesale distributors,” the company says on its website.
