The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted three more recalls of food items containing sunflower kernels. Two of the recalls were posted Tuesday, May 24, and another was posted May 20. All three of the recalling firms indicated that no related illnesses have been reported to date. The two most recent recalls involve a variety of snack items shipped to foodservice distributors, food banks and school meals programs by ES Foods of Woodbury, NY, and 50-pound bags and 30-pound cases of sunflower kernels distributed to four states by C.J. Dannemiller Co. of Norton, OH. ES Foods ES Foods stated that it was recalling 3,700 cases of the following Meal Breaks items containing individually packed Sunrich Natural Sunflower Kernels (Roasted & Salted), Net Wt 1 oz., because the sunflower seeds have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes:

  The Meal Breaks were distributed in CA, KS, KY, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA and WI to foodservice distributors, food banks, and school meal programs, between the dates of April 21 and May 13, 2016, according to the ES Foods recall notice. Products are packed in a master case, and that master case contains the product code number, product description, “Best Used By” Date, and lot code. ES Foods stated that the potential for contamination was noted after the company received notification from SunOpta, its sunflower kernel supplier, about positive Listeria monocytogenes results. Customers with questions may contact ES Foods at 516-682-5484, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. C.J. Dannemiller Co. The second recall was announced by C.J. Dannemiller Co., which is recalling SunOpta 50-pound bags and 30-pound cases of sunflower kernels roasted and salted and sunflower kernels roasted no salt because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria.

Hickory Harvest Foods The third posted recall is an expanded one from Hickory Harvest Foods of Akron, OH. The company stated that, under advice from SunOpta, its sunflower kernel supplier, it was expanding its recall of a limited number of products that have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  These recalled items are in addition to the food items Hickory Harvest recalled on May 4, 2016. The additional products were packaged at, or distributed from, Hickory Harvest between the dates of April 20, 2016 and May 18, 2016. Shipments were to the following states: AR, AZ, CA, CT, FL, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX and VA. Recalled retail items were sold in packaged bags and deli tubs and are marked with Best By Dates located on the front or back of the packages. Listed below are details regarding the additional recalled items:

  Previously recalled items from Hickory Harvest are listed below:

  Consumers are urged not to consume these products but are advised to take them back to the store where they purchased them for a refund or to simply discard them. Consumers seeking information may email askus2@hickoryharvest.com or call 1-800-448-6887, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. These latest recalls of sunflower kernels, or food products containing them, are part of about two dozen such recalls FDA has announced since the first week of May. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which 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.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)