An Avocado Recall Has Been Issued After Possible Listeria Contamination
Before you do your weekly grocery run, take note: A voluntary avocado recall has been issued due to concerns over potential listeria contamination.
Henry Avocado Corporation issued a voluntary recall of whole avocados over the weekend after a routine government inspection tested positive for listeria bacteria at one of its packing facilities. It's bad news for avocado lovers, but before you freak out, there's no evidence of a listeria outbreak yet—so far, no cases have been reported, according to the company.
Still, it pays to be cautious. The avocado recall so far includes avocados (both organic and regular) that have been shipped to six states: Arizona, California, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. (Avocados from Mexico that were packed by Henry Avocado are reportedly OK to eat, according to CNN.)
Listeria monocytogenes can be a dangerous bacteria—especially for pregnant women. Like most of the bacteria that cause food poisoning, listeria typically causes fever and diarrhea, but for pregnant women a listeria infection can manifest more like the flu, with muscle aches and fatigue occurring on top of the fever and digestive distress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An infection during pregnancy can have really serious consequences: miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or possibly a serious infection for newborns.
Luckily, cases of listeriosis aren't super common. The CDC reports an estimated 1,600 cases each year, resulting in 260 annual deaths.
So what should you do? CNN reports that Henry Avocado is contacting retailers directly to make sure the at-risk avocados are being pulled from shelves. But you should also inspect the avocados you have at home. The recalled avocados come from California and may have a "Bravocado" sticker. The company cautions that these stickers are not on the organic avocados that came from the facility—those simply have "organic" and "California" on the sticker. If you have either of these avocados at home, err on the side of caution and throw them out or bring them back to the store for a refund ASAP.
