Have you recently bought or consumed Enoki mushrooms from Meta brand?
Recall for Meta brand Enoki mushrooms was made by its distributing company Lian Teng Produces Inc. The alert was prompted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The specific brand of mushrooms was distributed in Ontario and likely in other areas of Canada as well.
As of now, no cases of Listeria exposure related to the product have been reported. Those that happen to have recently purchased these recalled Meta brand Enoki mushrooms are advised to properly dispose of the product. It should not be consumed, used, sold, served, or further distributed.
Things to Keep in Mind about Listeria-link Product Recalls
While food contaminated with Listeria may not immediately have visible signs of spoilage, it can still pose serious health risks. Those that have eaten the recalled mushrooms and have developed symptoms should seek immediate medical attention and inform their doctor about the Listeria exposure.
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Watch Out for These Symptoms after Possible Listeria Exposure
Once a person is exposed to Listeria, the onset of symptoms can take up to 70 days. During this incubation period, it is important to keep an eye on one’s health to prevent complications from untreated manifestations of the illness. Persistent fever accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and severe headache are some of the symptoms to look out for. Muscle aches and neck stiffness could also manifest in addition to those forementioned.
RELATED: Cheese Recall Due to Listeria Concerns
Who Are at High Risk of Listeria Infections?
The group of people at higher risk of Listeria infection include pregnant women, elderly people, young children, and immuno-compromised individuals such as cancer patients.
Pregnant women might experience mild, flu-like symptoms after exposure. However, contact with Listeria during pregnancy can cause severe outcomes such as premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or stillbirth.
Symptoms can also mimic other illnesses, which is why it is imperative to let your doctor know of any possible consumption of food products that have been recalled for Listeria. Specific laboratory tests like blood cultures must be done to diagnose Listeria, so as to not mistake the infection for another illness.
Enoki Mushrooms and Listeria
Listeria causes Listeriosis, a serious infection that results from eating food products that are highly prone to contamination of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. Such foods include Enoki mushrooms.
Listeria monocytogenes is notorious for doing well in temperatures as low as 32°F (0°C), which is the typical temperature of home refrigerators. In the case of the Meta brand recall, those that currently have the product in their refrigerators from a recent grocery trip are advised to dispose of it immediately and to sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with the mushrooms.
The Importance of Food Safety Measures
Like all other instances of food recalls, this incident shows the effectiveness of food safety regulations and testing. The immediate action by those responsible for placing such products on grocery shelves is crucial to keeping consumers’ homes and kitchens free from illness-causing pathogens.
To find out more about Listeria and other food safety tips you can take to safeguard yourself and those around you, visit the CDC website or the CFIA information page on food recalls.
From The Club
One of the things that people might find odd about me is the fact that eating or handling mushrooms scares me. I know that they’re the umami bombs of the culinary world and that they make great substitutes for meat, but there is just something about eating them that petrifies me. Add the fact that mushrooms are prone to listeria which can cause serious health problems — no thank you! But it’s a big relief knowing that the people responsible for food safety genuinely care about us and our health by working hard and fast to halt any further distribution or purchase of compromised food products. TBH, I’m really thankful to those people.
