Broccoli florets supplied in Walmart shops across 20 states and recalled due to bacterial contamination suspicions have been assigned the highest risk level by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
A single production batch of Braga Fresh’s cleaned and ready-to-eat Marketside Broccoli Florets was voluntarily recalled after Texas Health and Human Services found the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in a store during random testing.
This bacteria can cause serious or even deadly infections in the most susceptible members of the population, including as children, the elderly, and people with weaker immune systems.
“This product is past its ‘best if used by’ date and is no longer in stores, but consumers may have frozen the item for later use,” according to a statement from Braga Fresh.
“Consumers who have this product in their freezers should not consume and discard the product.”
On January 27, the FDA classified the recall as Class I, indicating that “there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
Consumers who are concerned that they may have the product in their freezer can identify it using the lot code “BFFG327A6”, which will be printed on the front of the 12 ounce bags.
The florets also have a universal product code (UPC) of “6 81131 32884 5” printed on the back of the bag, as well as a “best if used by” date of December 10, 2024.
Walmart locations in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming all sold broccoli.
