[Boone, NC] Over the past few weeks there have been large recalls of frozen fruit and vegetable products for listeria monocytogenes. Approximately 358 consumer products from over 42 separate brands have been affected by this recall, and it continues to grow. The link the recalled frozen products can be found is: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm498841.htm
The following guidance is provided because the populations of independent adult living, assisted living, rehabilitation hospitals and skilled nursing facilities are highly susceptible to listeriosis:
- Most frozen fruit and vegetable products are not considered ready-to-eat (RTE) and must be cooked in order to ensure a safe product. Validated cooking instructions provided on these packages should be followed, and all frozen fruit and vegetable products should be cooked to greater than 165F as measured with a tip sensitive thermometer.
- Any establishment which prepares frozen fruit or vegetable products to be served to a highly susceptible population should review current standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure that cooking procedures are adequate. Special attention should be paid to SOPs that include microwave cooking of frozen fruits and vegetables due to varied wattage of microwaves and inconsistent heating of product. Foods cooked in the microwave should be stirred, rotated, and covered during heating, as well as left for 2 minutes to ensure even heat distribution.
- Date marking of prepared frozen fruit and vegetable left overs must be followed. These products can be maintained at 41°F or below for 7 days, or between 41°F-45°F for 4 days.
- Any activity kitchen area, personal freezer or personal refrigerator of residents within a highly susceptible population should be thoroughly checked for recalled product. These products were sold in consumer sized packaging and may have been purchased by residence personally. Because adequate reheating of these products cannot be ensured by individual residents, these products should be removed and discarded. Monitor food brought in as leftovers from family members as well.
Finally, because of this large scale recall and the populations that are served, it is important to understand the symptoms of listeriosis. The CDC states, “A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has ‘invasive’ infection, in which the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract.” Other symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. In elderly patients, it commonly presents as meningitis or septicemia. Symptoms of listeria can present between 3-70 days from exposure. It is important to know and recognize these symptoms as possible listeriosis in order to receive prompt and effective medical care.
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