Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Fresh Express & Publix Salad Kits recall: Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 3+ years ago

Listeria monocytogenes

Fresh Express & Publix Fresh produce — recalled fresh produceFresh Express & Publix Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 2)Fresh Express & Publix Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 3)Fresh Express & Publix Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 4)
4 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

This is a Listeria recall, so the usual kitchen tests do not apply — the bacteria grow in a cold fridge and leave no smell, no cloudiness and no off taste.

What the notice says: Listeria monocytogenes 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
April 7, 2023
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Fresh Express & Publix
Product type
Fresh produce
Distribution
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
Sold at
Publix
UPC codes
00071279309194, 00071279306049
Reports of harm
The recalled products are no longer available for sale and no illnesses have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Salad Kits

What the company announced

Fresh Express Incorporated is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of three varieties of already-expired branded and private label salad kit products produced at the company’s Morrow, Georgia facility out of an abundance of caution due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes . The recalled products are no longer available for sale and no illnesses have been reported to date.

Listeria monocytogenes 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, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Consumers with these symptoms should consult their health care provider.

The recall was initiated when it was learned a random sample test of a single salad kit with a Use-By Date of March 31, 2023 collected by the Georgia Department of Agriculture yielded a positive result for the Listeria pathogen.

Recalled salad items all carry Product Code GO75 and Use-By Dates of March 31 or April 2, 2023 located on the front of the package. They were distributed through retailers in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Retailers have been instructed to ensure the recalled products are removed from all inventories. Consumers who might still have the recalled products in their refrigerators should discard and not consume them.

A listing of products subject to this recall are summarized at the end of this announcement.

To obtain a refund or for more information, consumers may call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Refunds are also available where purchased.

  • Brand: Fresh Express · Product: Caesar Chopped Kit · Ounce: 9.40 · UPC Codes: 00071279309194 · Product Code: G075 · Use-By Date: 4/2/2023 · Distribution States: FL, GA, NC, SC
  • Brand: Fresh Express · Product: Chopped Kit Chipotle Cheddar · Ounce: 11.3 · UPC Codes: 00071279306049 · Product Code: G075 · Use-By Date: 4/2/2023 · Distribution States: FL, GA, NC, SC, VA
  • Brand: Publix · Product: Makoto Honey Ginger Salad Kit · Ounce: 8.75 · UPC Codes: 00071279309194 · Product Code: G075 · Use-By Date: 3/31/2023 · Distribution States: Fl, GA, NC

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.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 00071279309194
  • 00071279306049

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • G075

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 Express & Publix — This is a Listeria recall, so the usual kitchen tests do not apply — the bacteria grow in a cold fridge and leave no smell, no cloudiness and no off taste.

  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. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.

Getting a refund without the pack

The commonest reason people skip the refund is that they have already thrown the item away. That rarely matters.

  • A photo of the label and lot code is accepted by most grocers, and so is a card statement line showing the purchase.
  • Store credit is often offered first. You can ask for the original payment method instead, and it is normally granted.
  • No photo either? Ask anyway. Grocery chains settle recall refunds at the service desk because disputing them costs more than paying them.
  • For a multi-pack or a case, ask for the full purchase price rather than a per-unit figure — the recall covers what you paid.

Remedy named in the notice: Consumers who might still have the recalled products in their refrigerators should discard and not consume them.

Company contact: Fresh Express Incorporated — Consumers: Fresh Express Consumer Response Center, (800) 242-5472 — Media: Donna Stephens or Barbara Hines, (210) 802-1412 or (972) 677-8127

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 Express & Publix fresh produce recalled?

Listeria monocytogenes Listeria monocytogenes 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: UPC 00071279309194, 00071279306049; model number G075. 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 might still have the recalled products in their refrigerators should discard and not consume them.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.

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