Urgent recall for mushrooms sold throughout US that could kill children and pregnant women
A food producer based in New York is urgently recalling their mushrooms due to a listeria outbreak that could cause fatal infections.
The US Food and Drug Administration sent out a warning on Friday that packages of enoki mushrooms from Harvest NYC Inc could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
This bacterium causes listeriosis (or listeria), a rare but serious foodborne illness which is found in soil, water, and contaminated foods like deli meats, cheeses, and unpasteurized dairy products.
Listeria typically has the greatest impact on pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
The infection can cause fevers, muscle aches, and potentially lead to meningitis - an inflammation of the brain.
Among the most vulnerable consumers, a listeria infection could potentially kill between 20 and 30 percent of those affected by the contaminated food.
The FDA noted that the recall impacts 200-gram (7.05 ounce) packages of enoki mushrooms from Harvest NYC, which operates out of Brooklyn.
However, the potentially contaminated mushrooms were shipped nationwide between January 11 and January 31, 2025.
The FDA has recalled enoki mushrooms from Harvest NYC Inc that were distributed between January 11 and January 31, 2025
Even healthy individuals can get sick from listeria-contaminated mushrooms, suffering from severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea
This is the second major listeria recall of enoki mushrooms in two months - and both involved food distributors in Brooklyn.
On March 12, the FDA issued a recall of New Age International Inc's mushrooms after samples collected from a store in West Virginia tested positive for the deadly bacteria.
Specifically, the March recall affected 200-gram packages of Daily Veggies Enoki Mushroom from Korea.
As of the new recall announcement on April 18, no one has fallen ill because of the enoki mushrooms from Harvest NYC Inc.
New York's Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Laboratory discovered the contamination in samples collected from a store in Buffalo - nearly 300 miles north of New York City.
The FDA noted that the bags affected by the recall include those with the UPC barcode 6975730520101. They were distributed by Hofood99 Inc from the Queens neighborhood of Oakland Gardens.
Although the mushrooms were shipped throughout the US, the FDA did not reveal how many bags of the produce were sent out in January.
However, anyone who finds they have one of these bags of mushrooms is urged to throw it out immediately or take it back to the store it was purchased from.
Listeria infections typically have the greatest impact on pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems
Several US listeria outbreaks have been tied to enoki mushrooms in recent years, with many of the shipments being imported from China and Korea
Enoki mushrooms, with their long, thin stems and small caps, are primarily used in Asian cuisine, particularly in soups, stir-fries, hot pots, and salads, valued for their delicate flavor and crisp texture.
Listeria contamination in mushrooms, particularly enoki mushrooms, occurs mainly during the cultivation, processing, or storage processes.
That's because the bacterium has the ability to thrive in cool, moist environments.
If the produce is grown in contaminated soil, handling by workers in unsanitary conditions, or simply eaten raw by consumers, it's possible to become infected with listeria.
The FDA noted that enoki mushrooms have been a continuous source of listeria outbreaks throughout the US in recent years.
That includes widespread outbreaks in 2020 and 2023 linked to the mushrooms in states like California, Hawaii, Michigan, and New Jersey.
One study in the Journal of Food Protection revealed that 43 percent of FDA-tested enoki samples were positive for listeria.
To prevent infection, consumers are urged to store mushrooms in the refrigerator in a dry, breathable paper bag, practice good kitchen hygiene, and cook enoki mushrooms to an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
In severe cases of listeria, an infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Even healthy individuals can get sick from listeria-contaminated mushrooms, suffering from severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
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