Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive Torta sandwiches recall: Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Recall published 2+ years ago

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive Other food products — recalled other food productsFresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 2)Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 3)Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 4)
4 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

What the notice says: Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
February 9, 2024
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive
Product type
Other food products
Distribution
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah
Reports of harm
To date, no illnesses have been reported related to these specific products.

Products covered by this recall

Torta sandwiches

What the company announced

San Fernando, Calif. (February 9, 2024) - Fresh & Ready Foods is voluntarily recalling four torta sandwiches that contain cotija cheese which were sold in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. This voluntary recall is being initiated as a result of the Rizo-López Foods, Inc. recall of cotija cheese due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes and associated with an outbreak the FDA is currently investigating.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, a Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Fresh & Ready Foods used this cheese to make the sandwiches listed below.

The recalled products were distributed between 01/21/2024 and 02/06/2024 and sold exclusively in locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah.

To date, no illnesses have been reported related to these specific products.

  • PRODUCT: Fresh & Ready Ham Torta Sandwich · SIZE: 9 oz · UPC NUMBER: 8290690707 · CONTAINER: Plastic Container · USE BY DATES: 02/03/2024 to 02/22/2024 · WHERE USE BY DATE CAN BE FOUND: Bottom left of front label
  • PRODUCT: Fresh & Ready Chicken Torta Sandwich · SIZE: 9 oz · UPC NUMBER: 8290690706 · CONTAINER: Plastic Container · USE BY DATES: 02/03/2024 to 02/22/2024 · WHERE USE BY DATE CAN BE FOUND: Bottom left of front label
  • PRODUCT: Sprig & Sprout Ham Torta Sandwich on Telera Roll · SIZE: 9 oz · UPC NUMBER: 8290690720 · CONTAINER: Plastic Container · USE BY DATES: 01/27/2024 to 02/15/2024 · WHERE USE BY DATE CAN BE FOUND: Above UPC code on back label
  • PRODUCT: Jack & Olive Ham Torta Sandwich on Telera Roll · SIZE: 9 oz · UPC NUMBER: 8290690725 · CONTAINER: Plastic Container · USE BY DATES: 01/27/2024 to 02/15/2024 · WHERE USE BY DATE CAN BE FOUND: Above UPC code on back label

Fresh & Ready Foods takes product safety very seriously. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to discard any remaining product immediately. Consumers may contact Fresh & Ready Foods at [email protected] or by calling 1-855-424-8390 Monday through Friday 8:00am – 6:00 pm EST for any questions related to this recall or to request a full refund.

Product labels are posted below for identification of products.

FDA Outbreak Investigation

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 3 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Best-by / use-by date

Printed beside the lot code, not on the price sticker.

  • 02/03/2024
  • 01/27/2024

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 9 oz

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive — Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  3. Wash and then sanitise anything the food touched: the fridge shelf and drawer, chopping boards, knives, counters and your hands. Listeria colonises cold surfaces and can survive there after the food is gone.
  4. If anyone in the household is pregnant, over 65 or immunocompromised, call a clinician for advice even if nobody feels ill. That conversation is quick and it is the whole point of a Listeria recall.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Remedy named in the notice: Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to discard any remaining product immediately.

Company contact: Fresh and Ready Foods — Consumers: 1-855-424-8390, [email protected] — Media: Kristin Elder, H+K Strategies for Fresh & Ready Foods, [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive other… recalled?

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: best-by date 02/03/2024 or 01/27/2024. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to discard any remaining product immediately.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.

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