National Frozen Foods Corp. is voluntarily recalling several brands of not-ready-to-eat, individually quick frozen green beans and mixed vegetables because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The recall comes two days after foodservice supplier US Foods and the U.S. Department of Defense Commissary Agency reported the frozen food company had recalled certain frozen green beans.

Several more brands of green beans are included in the recall, including Sysco brand. Sysco is the largest broadline foodservice supplier in North America. US Foods is the second largest. Together they have well more than half of the market, which includes school cafeterias, restaurants and other foodservice operations.

The National Frozen Food Corp. (NFFC) recall includes products distributed to foodservice operations, in bulk and smaller containers, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The products being recalled were distributed between Aug. 18, 2017, and Jan. 12 this year. As of the posting of the NFFC recall notice on Thursday, no illnesses had been confirmed in relation to the recalled products.

The recalled items can be identified by the date codes printed on the back of the 32-ounce bags or on the side of the master cases. Frozen green beans with the following label information are included in this recall:

Brand Listed on Packaging	Product name	Net Weight	NFFC Item# Customer#	Lot Information/Code Printed On Packaging
Bountiful Harvest Foundations	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	22486-11918 2229881	17100903A02
Bountiful Harvest Originals	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	22486-11908 2229871	17100903A02
Monarch	Capri Blend	20 LB.	58108-00602 670229	38511-7H11G3N
Monarch	Capri Blend	20 LB.	58108-00602 670229	38511-7H11H3N
NW Treasure	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	62406-90007 3828405	17102603A02
Simplot Classic	Meadow Blend	32 oz.	71179-67166	965AUG081705H
Sysco Classic	Cut Green Beans	32 oz.	74865-04977 1435197	17102703A03
Sysco Imperial	Whole Green Beans	32 oz.	74865-24917 2101855	17102703A03
(No Brand Name)	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	15001-01070	38627-7H28A3N
(No Brand Name)	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	15001-01070	38627-7H28B3N
(No Brand Name)	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	15001-01070	38627-7H28C3N
(No Brand Name)	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	15001-01070	38627-7H28D3N
(No Brand Name)	Cut Green Beans	30 LB.	15001-01070	38627-7H28E3N
Valamont*	Cut Green Beans	32 oz.	72608-12082	38474-7H08F3N
Valamont	Cut Green Beans	20 LB.	72608-12150	38510-7H11F3N
The World’s Harvest*	Cut Green Beans	32 oz.	WRH99-FV021	38475-7H08F3N
The World’s Harvest*	Cut Green Beans	32oz.	WRH99-FV021	38475-7H08G3N

 

* The 32 oz. inner clear poly bag has only lot code printed.

“Following cooking preparation instructions on the labels of master cases or packages will effectively reduce the risk of exposure to this bacterium,” according to the NFFC recall notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration website.

National Frozen Foods Corp. initiated the recall following the detection of Listeria monocytogenes by a pet food company.

On Jan. 19, JustFoodForDogs LLC recalled three flavors of its dog food containing human-grade green beans after lab tests found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of the green beans. The company advised the restaurant supply distributor from which it had purchased the green beans of the lab results.

Neither JustFoodForDogs nor the manufacturer have confirmed that NFFC’s green beans were behind the dog food recall.

Consumers should not eat these products. People who bought them should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 800-253-8269.

Advice to consumers
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled green beans and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the pathogen.

It can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms of Listeria infection to develop. Consequently, people who have eaten the recalled green beans should monitor themselves for listeriosis symptoms during the coming weeks.

Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In severe cases the infection becomes invasive and spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

Older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems such as cancer patients, people with HIV/AIDS and organ transplant recipients are susceptible to serious, sometimes fatal, infections. In addition, in pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. The pathogen can cross the placenta and infect developing fetuses.

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