Baker Farms’ kale, sold at Winn-Dixie and Kroger stores, recalled for possible listeria
Kale is oft-touted as super good for you, a “natural nutritional wonder,” WebMD says about the dark, leafy green member of the cabbage family.
That’s wonderful.
But know this: Baker Farms is recalling their Baker Farms, Kroger & SEG Grocers brand names of kale in the 1 pound plastic bags that are sold at supermarkets including Kroger, Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Harvey’s.
Why this kale recall?
According to the FDA alert posted on Sept. 17, these bags may have been contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. On Sept. 14, a customer had contacted Baker Farms to tell them they had tested positive for listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy people may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, but the infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, the recall alert noted.
The CDC says an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die.
Aside from the consumer who contacted the company, no illnesses have been reported to date, according to the FDA.
Which products?
The Baker Farms kale recall centers on the 1 pound plastic bags with BEST BY 09-18-2021 107020-21832 stamped on the packages’ front.
The products were distributed between Aug 30 and Sept 1, 2021 and packaged in clear plastic and sold primarily in retail stores located in Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York and Virginia.
The identifying numbers are:
▪ Baker Farms Kale, UPC 8 13098 02001 6, production code 0009107020-21832.
▪ Kroger Kale, UPC 0 11110 18170 1, production code 0009107020-21832.
▪ SEG Grocers Kale, UPC 0 38259 11482 7, production code 0009107020-21832.
What you should do
Customers who bought these products should not consume the kale and should return the bags to the place of purchase for a full refund. Or toss it in the trash.
Got questions? Contact Richard G. Baker at richard@bakerfamilyproduce.com or 229-769-3113 during the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern Monday-Friday.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Baker Farms’ kale, sold at Winn-Dixie and Kroger stores, recalled for possible listeria."
