Fullei Fresh of Miami has issued a Listeria recall for bean sprouts and soy sprouts produced between September 14 and October 5, 2021. The recall includes organic and conventional sprouts. At the time of the recall, the company stated it was not aware of any illnesses associated with these products. However, consumers who have purchased them should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious illness and death. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage and stillbirth.
Contact the Pritzker Hageman Listeria Team
Phone: 1-888-377-8900 | Text: 1-612-261-0856
The sprouts Listeria recall includes the following products:
- Fullei Fresh conventional bean sprouts sold in 5-lb bulk, 10-lb bulk, and 8-oz retail packs with lot codes between 251 and 271.
- Fullei Fresh organic bean sprouts are sold in 5-lb bulk and 4 oz retail packs with lot codes between 251 and 271.
- Fullei Fresh soy sprouts are sold in 5-lb bulk and 10-lb bulk with lot codes between 251 and 271.
The lot codes are the last three digits of the barcode which is printed on the retail packs and on bulk cardboard boxes.
Previous Fullei Fresh Sprouts Listeria Recall
This is not the first time sprouts produced by Fullei Fresh have been recalled for potential Listeria contamination. In 2019, the company issued a Listeria recall for organic bean sprouts sold at Whole Foods and stores supplied by the Miami-based distributor Freedom Fresh.
Those recalled sprouts were sold in 4-oz. plastic clamshell containers.
Sprouts are Commonly Recalled, Linked to Outbreaks
It’s not just Fullei Fresh. The food safety risk that raw sprouts pose is well-documented. Over the last two decades, sprouts have been linked to more than 40 food poisoning outbreaks that caused more than 2,400 illnesses, 171 hospitalizations and three deaths. Since 2017, there have been at least a half dozen recalls for sprouts.
The problem is that the warm, humid environments and nutrient-rich soils that are ideal for growing sprouts are also ideal for growing bacteria. The Food Safety Modernization Act dedicates an entire section to the unique food safety risk sprouts pose. Because of the inherent risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that consumers only eat sprouts that are cooked.