Two years after enoki mushrooms from Sun Hong Foods were linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak, the company’s mushrooms have again tested positive for Listeria.
The FDA has issued an alert warning consumers not to eat and restaurants not to serve Sun Hong Foods enoki mushrooms after testing by Missouri health officials found them to be contaminated with Listeria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not explain if it was issuing the alert because the company declined to issue a recall, but it did clarify that the strain found in the mushrooms “does not appear to match any clinical isolates from active outbreaks.”
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Enoki Mushroom Alert
Unlike the mushrooms linked to the deadly outbreak, which were grown in Korea, the enoki mushrooms that are the subject of the current FDA alert were grown in China and distributed in the U.S. by Sun Hong Foods Inc. of Montebello, CA. No specific product information, such as a description of the packaging, the size, or product codes, was provided in the alert.
Previous Recalls, Fatal Outbreak
Last year, when Sun Hong Foods enoki mushrooms imported from China were recalled for Listeria, this was the product image included with the recall.
In 2020, Sun Hong Foods was one of three brands of enoki mushrooms recalled in connection with a Listeria outbreak that sickened 36 people, four of whom died. Six of the outbreak patients were pregnant women, two of whom suffered miscarriages.
Current Enoki Mushroom Listeria Outbreak
A current enoki mushroom Listeria outbreak includes two illnesses from two states, Nevada and Michigan. The patients, both males ages 30 and 42, have been hospitalized. The FDA has been working to determine which mushrooms are the source of the outbreak.
Symptoms of a Listeria Infection
Symptoms of a Listeria infection include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, other muscle stiffness, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. These symptoms usually develop within 24 hours of exposure but sometimes can take as long as 70 days to develop. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage or stillbirth. Anyone who has eaten the enoki mushrooms included in this alert and develops symptoms should see a doctor right away and mention exposure to Listeria.
