Elevated risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Fresh Express Salsa! Ensalada Kit, Marketside Southwest Chopped Salad recall: Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Recall published 2+ years ago

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Fresh Express, marketside Fresh produce — recalled fresh produceFresh Express, marketside Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 2)Fresh Express, marketside Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 3)Fresh Express, marketside 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

Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

What the notice says: February 8, 2024, Orlando, FL – As a consequence of a recall initiated by a cheese supplier, Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc., Fresh Express is voluntarily recalling two salad kits with condiment packs that contain the recalled cheese, which may pose a potential health risk from Listeria monocytogenes .

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 8, 2024
Risk level
Elevated risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Fresh Express, marketside
Product type
Fresh produce
Distribution
Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Utah, Washington
UPC codes
681131305129, 071279309026
Reports of harm
The safety of Fresh Express lettuces and leafy greens are not a factor in this recall and no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products.

Products covered by this recall

Fresh Express Salsa! Ensalada Kit, Marketside Southwest Chopped Salad Kit

What the company announced

February 8, 2024, Orlando, FL – As a consequence of a recall initiated by a cheese supplier, Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc., Fresh Express is voluntarily recalling two salad kits with condiment packs that contain the recalled cheese, which may pose a potential health risk from Listeria monocytogenes .

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.

The salad kits being recalled were available for purchase at retail grocery stores in AL, CA, FL, GA, ID, UT and WA in limited quantities. The kits being recalled are Fresh Express Salsa! Ensalada Salad Kit and Marketside Southwest Chopped Salad Kit with Use-By Dates ranging from January 6 through February 20, 2024, and include condiment packs with Use-By Dates ranging from February 28 through April 4, 2024.

No other Fresh Express salads or salad kits or condiment packs containing cheese are included in this recall. The safety of Fresh Express lettuces and leafy greens are not a factor in this recall and no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products. Fresh Express is taking this action upon learning that two salad kits contained condiment packs with cheese toppings that are affected by a recall issued by Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc.

Fresh Express has notified retailers to remove the recalled kits from store shelves and all inventories.

Consumers who may have the recalled salad kits should discard them immediately and not eat them. Consumers who may have kept the condiment packs from the recalled salad kits for possible later use should also discard them immediately and not consume the contents. Refunds are also available at point of sale.

Specific identifying details for the recalled products are listed in the chart below and can be found on the salad bag packaging label or on the condiment pack.

Fresh Express Recalled Salad Kits February 8, 2024

  • Name of Product: Marketside Southwest Chopped Salad Kit · Ounces: 10.3 · UPC: 681131305129 · Package Code: G364 G002 · Package Use-By Dates: 1/14/2024 1/17/2024 · Condiment Pack Use-by Dates: 3/3/2024 · US Distribution States: AL, FL, GA
  • Name of Product: Fresh Express Salsa! Ensalada Salad Kit · Ounces: 12.1 · UPC: 071279309026 · Package Code: S353 to S363 S002 to S033 · Package Use-By Dates: 1/6/2024 to 1/18/2024 1/21/2024 to 2/20/2024 · Condiment Pack Use-by Dates: 2/28/2024 to 4/4/2024 · US Distribution States: CA, ID, UT, WA

For questions or to obtain refunds, 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.

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 2 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.

  • 681131305129
  • 071279309026

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, marketside — Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

  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. 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.
  3. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  4. 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.

Refunds, and what else you can claim

The purchase price is the floor, not the ceiling. Where a recall caused you a real cost, say so.

  • Claim the refund at the store first; it is the fastest route and needs the least paperwork.
  • If you bought several packs over time, list them. Firms routinely settle for more than a single unit when a customer asks.
  • Medical costs, lost earnings or a spoiled event are not handled at the service desk. Write to the company contact on this page instead, with dates and documents.
  • Keep copies of everything you send. If a recall caused harm, that file is what any later claim rests on.

Remedy named in the notice: Consumers who may have the recalled salad kits should discard them immediately and not eat them.

Company contact: Fresh Express — Consumers: Fresh Express Consumer Response Center, 800-242-5472 — Media: Donna Stephens or Barbara Hines, 512-280-3591 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, marketside fresh produce recalled?

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. February 8, 2024, Orlando, FL – As a consequence of a recall initiated by a cheese supplier, Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc., Fresh Express is voluntarily recalling two salad kits with condiment packs that contain the recalled cheese, which may pose a potential health risk from Listeria monocytogenes .

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 681131305129, 071279309026. 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 may have the recalled salad kits should discard them immediately and not eat them.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Utah, Washington.

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