ROCHESTER, NY, 2015-9-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — On September 14, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Wegmans that a random sample of Wegmans Cleaned and Cut Kale, 16 oz. bag (UPC# 77890 26045) was taken from one store on August 3 and tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
This product is also used as an ingredient in a variety of recipes offered on Wegmans hot and cold bars and other prepared foods.
This is not a product recall, because the best-by date on this product was August 10, and it is no longer in stores and should no longer be in customers’ homes. However, out of an abundance of caution, Wegmans is taking the unusual step of announcing these test results.
“We want customers who may have consumed this product, or who consumed prepared foods that contained kale, between July 30 and August 12, to know about this on the chance they have experienced or may experience symptoms for listeriosis,” says Jo Natale, vice president of media relations. “Knowing this, they can reach out to their doctor for advice or treatment if necessary. “
The incubation period for listeriosis can range from three to 70 days, but symptoms usually appear within a month.
No illnesses associated with this product have been reported to Wegmans or its supplier.
L. monocytogenes is a bacterium that can contaminate foods and cause a mild non-invasive illness (called listerial gastroenteritis) or a severe, sometimes life-threatening, illness (called invasive listeriosis). Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis after consuming foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are fetuses and neonates who are infected after the mother is exposed to L. monocytogenes during pregnancy, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. Customers who have experienced these symptoms should contact their physician.
To hear a complete list of affected products and prepared food items, consumers should call 1-877-273-6375.
If there are additional questions, customers should contact Wegmans consumer affairs department toll free at 1-855-934-3663 Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
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Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 86-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 18 consecutive years, ranking #7 in 2015. The company also ranked #1 for Corporate Reputation, among the 100 ‘most-visible companies’ nationwide in the 2014 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient ® study.
Contact Information: Jo Natale, Wegmans vice president of media relations, 585-429-3627