The LA-based food company has plucked out several of its pre-food food offerings from businesses in California and three other states after federal regulators found a stock of Listeria in Listeria linked to an outbreak that first caused more than 10 illnesses last year.
San Fernando-based Fresh & Lady Food spontaneously recalls some of the advance sandwiches and protein snacks, including several varieties of ham and turkey sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, tuna pasta and street corn dipper snacks. Items were sold in three brands: Fresh & Ready Foods, City Point Market Fresh Food To Go, and Fresh Take Crave Away.
The voluntarily recalled food was distributed this year in California, Nevada, Arizona and Washington from April 18th to 28th. It was to be sold in hospitals, hotels, convenience stores, airports, and airline vending machines and other settings. Recalled items have a “use” date from April 22nd to May 19th.
The recall was prompted by routine inspections at fresh, prepared facilities this April. There, investigators discovered a stock of Listeria monocytogen on the device, according to a news release from the company and federal officials. The company said in a statement that fresh and prepared workers then removed the equipment and took other actions to remedy the issue.
Symptoms of Listeria infection include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and even seizures, according to the CDC. It can also include intestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Listeria infections are particularly severe for pregnant people as listeria infections during pregnancy can lead to patients miscarriage, stillbirth, or early birth. It can also cause life-threatening infections in newborns. According to the CDC, others who develop Listeria infections and are at higher risk if they develop Listeria infections are adults over the age of 65 and have weakened immune systems.
The outbreak was originally identified in 2024 when U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials began an investigation into a population of people who became ill with Listeria. They failed to procure sufficient evidence to determine the cause of the outbreak.
This year, when investigators found Listeria on fresh, prepared equipment, FDA scientists used whole-genome sequencing analysis. This confirmed that the listeria strains found in fresh and ready food matched the listeria strains that cause illness in the 2024 outbreak. This has led authorities to resume investigations.
No disease is linked to the recalled food. Instead, it pulled something fresh and ready “as a precautionary measure to ensure continued safety for consumers,” the company said in a statement released Saturday.
In 2024, at least eight people got sick with contaminated products in California and two other products in Nevada, according to the CDC.
The state and local health officials interviewed six people who had signed up for Listeria and found themselves in the hospital before the bacteria got sick. Ready-to-eat foods made with fresh and prepared foods were served at least three facilities with hospitalized patients.
Anyone who purchases the food listed in the recall should throw it away immediately, the company said. Consumers can contact fresh and ready foods at RecallConcern@hotlineGlobal.com or call (855) 424-8390 from 5am to 3pm Monday through Friday to ask questions or request a full refund.
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