Bidart Bros. of Bakersfield, CA, announced Monday that it has launched an online information and claim center to allow those impacted by the recent outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to the company’s apples to file claims. Those who have been injured or who would like to file a loss claim can go here to start the process. The site allows for the filing of a bodily injury claim or another type of claim. The site also includes information about the company’s apple-processing plant, which has been linked to the current Listeria outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that outbreak to date has sickened 32 people, hospitalized 31, and may have contributed to 3 of 7 reported deaths. Bidart Bros. noted the results of additional environmental tests performed at its apple- processing plant by officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Test results confirm two strains of Listeria monocytogenes were found at the apple processing facility and are believed to be the same strains associated with the outbreak,” the company’s announcement stated. “Those same strains were also found in Bidart Bros. apples collected from a retailer by the FDA. Today, the CDC confirmed that the majority of the persons made ill reported consuming caramel-coated apples.” “The results are devastating to the Bidart family,” said Leonard Bidart, president of Bidart Bros. “As a family-owned grower operating in California since the 1930s, we place safety at the forefront of everything we do. Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by the apple-related listeriosis outbreak.” He added that from the moment company officials learned about the problem, they committed themselves to “cooperating completely” with FDA, CDA and the California Department of Public Health. Bidart Bros. has voluntarily recalled all Granny Smith and Gala apples still available in the marketplace and has contacted retailers who carry those apple varieties from the company with instructions about how to return them. The company stated that it last shipped Granny Smith apples to customers on Dec. 2, 2014.