Food Safety News

Ayco Farms Inc. has initiated a recall of its fresh cantaloupe because of potential Salmonella contamination. 

The affected whole fruit was distributed to Pennsylvania, Florida, California and New York. A total of 8,302 cartons are subject to the recall.

The recalled Ayco fresh whole cantaloupe is wrapped in food-safe plastic bags and packed in corrugated cardboard cartons containing 6-12 melons each. 

- The recalled lot numbers include: GC26257, GC26270, GC26288, GC26289, GC26290, GC26294, GC26299, GC26301, GC26307, GC26308, GC26311, GC26312, GC26313, GC26318, GC26325, GC26326, GC26328, SCX2601, SCX2606, SCX2611, SCX2614, SCX2622, SCX2625, SCX2629, SCX2633, SGC2601, SGC2602, SGC2607.

The recall was initiated on March 24 after the issue was discovered, but the Food and Drug Administration did not post a standard recall notice. The recall is ongoing and has not yet been classified by FDA.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cantaloupe and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.

Alarjawi brand Royal Zaatar is being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Salmonella.

The recalled product was distributed in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. As of the posting of the recall by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency there had been no confirmed illnesses related to the product.

Consumers can identify the implicated product by looking for the following label information: 450-gram, UPC number 212055 036239, and code P: 29/04/2025 E: 28/10/2026 K1.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for raw beef and pork products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. 

The products may contain sesame, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase.

The raw beef and pork items were produced from December 1, 2025, through April 6, 2026. The following products are subject to the public health alert:

• 1.5-lb. clear plastic containers with safety lids containing “QUALITY MEAT SKY RANCH PREMIUM PROVISIONS MARINATED BEEF RIBEYE ROLL /BULGOGI” with “SELL BY” dates of “DEC.11.25” through “APR.16.26”.
• 1.5-lb. clear plastic containers with safety lids containing “QUALITY MEAT SKY RANCH PREMIUM PROVISIONS MARINATED PORK TENDERIZED CT BUTT” with “SELL BY” dates of “DEC.11.25” through “APR.16.26”.
• 1.5-lb. clear plastic containers with safety lids containing “QUALITY MEAT SKY RANCH PREMIUM PROVISIONS MARINATED BEEF SLICED SHORT RIBS /LA STYLE” with “SELL BY” dates of “DEC.11.25” through “APR.16.26”.
• 1.5-lb. clear plastic containers with safety lids containing “QUALITY MEAT SKY RANCH PREMIUM PROVISIONS MRN PORK SINGLE BELLY CHOP / JUMULLEOK” with “SELL BY” dates of “DEC.11.25” through “APR.16.26”.

The products have establishment number “EST. 1377” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to Lotte Plaza Market retail locations in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.

The problem was discovered by FSIS personnel during a routine label review. FSIS personnel noticed the use of sesame oil in the products, but sesame was not declared as an ingredient on the label.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a health care provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Hungarian authorities have uncovered food safety and hygiene violations during inspections of three retail establishments. 

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) said it took action in each case and has a zero-tolerance policy toward practices that violate food safety.

The FDA is continuing to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections that has sickened at least 68 people.

The outbreak was first reported by the Food and Drug Administration on Feb. 25. At that time the agency reported 38 confirmed patients. The source of the outbreak is not yet known.

The FDA has begun traceback efforts and sample testing, but is not reporting what food it is tracing or what is being tested. The agency is also not reporting the ages of the sick people or where they live. 

In other outbreak news, the FDA has an active investigation of an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport infections linked to recalled dietary supplements containing moringa leaf powder.

There are 97 people from 32 states infected. Of 67 people interviewed, 59 reported eating a product containing moringa leaf powder. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared the outbreak over, but the FDA’s investigation is still listed as active.

Two brands of products containing moringa leaf powder have been recalled. They are Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules, lot # A25G051 and expiration date 07/2028, and Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powder, original or wild berry flavor, with expiration dates from 08/2026 to 01/2028. 

The FDA has another investigation into a separate outbreak of Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Kentucky infections traced to another brand of moorings powder listed as active, but the CDC has declared the outbreak over. 

The outbreak involved Rosabella brand moringa powder capsules distributed by Ambrosia Brands LLC.

In response to this investigation, Ambrosia Brands LLC recalled certain lots of Rosabella brand moringa powder capsules. Recalled product was available for sale nationwide and internationally. The product that tested positive for Salmonella was included in the recall.

By STOP Foodborne Illness

As the industry prepares to gather in Rosemont, Illinois for the 28th annual Food Safety Summit, a longstanding partnership with STOP Foodborne Illness (STOP) will once again take center stage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged stakeholders to act on evidence that will be provided by updated estimates on foodborne illness.

Updated WHO figures on the burden of foodborne disease, originally set for publication in 2025, will be released in early June in a report including estimates by hazard, providing global, regional and national data on foodborne illnesses, deaths, and public health burdens expressed as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 2000 to 2021.

A variety of products containing cheese are being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The products are unbranded, but are all available at Sobey banner stores. Those stores are:

• Atlantic: Coop, Foodland, Sobeys
• Ontario: Foodland, IGA, Safeway, Sobeys
• Western Canada: IGA, Safeway, Sobeys, Thrifty Foods

The recalled products were distributed in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.

The following products are subject to the recall:

BrandProductSizeUPCCodesAdditional InformationNoneCreamy Carbonara Pasta Salad with Bacon and PeasVariablePLU 34512All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026AL06Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneCreamy Garlic and Spinach Pasta SaladVariablePLU 60079All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL06Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneCarbonara Pasta Salad with Ham and BaconVariablePLU 26727All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL06Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneParmesan Cauliflower Cakes1 piecePLU 27079All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL05Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneParmesan Cauliflower Cakes4 piecePLU 36327All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL08Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneSpinach Feta Cauliflower Cake1 piecePLU 68468All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL05Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneSpinach Feta Cauliflower Cakes4 piecePLU 46370All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL08Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneParmesan Cheese Cauliflower Cake1 piecePLU 36012All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL08Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneSpinach Feta Cheese Cauliflower Cake1 piecePLU 35709All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL08Sold at Sobeys banners in Atlantic, Ontario and Western CanadaNoneChicken & Black Bean Wrap1 piecePLU 86322All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL07Sold at Thrifty Foods stores (BC) NoneStuffed Mushroom Caps with Spinach & ArtichokeVariablePLU 60190All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL05Sold at Thrifty Foods stores (BC)NoneHalibut Stuffed Phyllo Pastry with Spinach & Artichoke, raw, Ocean Wise150 gPLU 29541All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL06Sold at Thrifty Foods stores (BC)NoneStuffed Sole Filets with Spinach & Artichoke, raw, Ocean WiseVariablePLU 60524All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL05Sold at Thrifty Foods stores (BC)NoneSockeye Salmon Stuffed Phyllo Pastry with Spinach & Artichoke, raw, Ocean Wise150 gPLU 38014All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL05Sold at Thrifty Foods stores (BC)NoneSalmon Pinwheel Spinach & Artichoke, raw, previously frozen, Ocean WiseVariablePLU 28900All BEST BEFORE dates up to and including 2026 AL06Sold at Thrifty Foods stores (BC)

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The Environmental Working Group has released it’s 2026 shoppers guide, listing the 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.

The group uses a list of test results from an annual report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the basis for its Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. 

Although it acknowledges that all of the fruits and vegetables on its Dirty Dozen list are well below the allowable limits for pesticide residue, the group contends that any pesticide residue is of danger to human health. 

In addition to the Dirty Dozen, the environmental group creates a Clean 15 list for its annual shoppers guide. Along with the list, the group suggests that consumers buy organic produce. However, organic fruits and vegetables are allowed to be produced using certain chemical pesticides, as well as manure, by the USDA’s organic program.

The Alliance for Food and Farming challenges the validity of the environmental group’s shoppers’ guide.

“The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) ‘Dirty Dozen’ report once again villainizes safe, healthy, and affordable fruits and vegetables by misrepresenting USDA pesticide data,” according to the food and farming group.

“In its usual approach, EWG overstates the risk of consumer pesticide exposure by leaving out a key detail: more than 99 percent of the commodities sampled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its annual Pesticide Data Program (PDP) report  — the source material for the EWG report — have residues well below the stringent safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the Alliance for Food and Farming, USDA's latest report demonstrates that the vast majority of the commodities sampled had residues well below the established EPA safety standards, and more than 42 percent had no detectable residues.

EWG’s Dirty Dozen

1.Spinach

2.Kale and collard and mustard greens

3. Strawberries

4. Grapes

5. Nectarines

6. Peaches

7. Cherries

8. Apples

9. Blackberries

10. Pears

11. Potatoes

12.Blueberries

EWG’s Clean Fifteen

1. Pineapple
2. Sweet corn

3. Avocados

4. Papayas

5. Onions

6. Sweet peas

7. Asparagus

8. Cabbage

9. Cauliflower

10. Watermelon

11. Mangoes

12. Bananas

13. Carrots

14. Mushrooms

15. Kiwi

Problems in the production process of pâté likely contributed to an outbreak of Campylobacter in an Australian state.

An outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni was reported to the Hunter New England Public Health Unit in late July 2025. The agency was notified of campylobacteriosis in a two-year-old child, and the child’s grandmother. Both patients had been to a family event at a local restaurant.

Paper-based records and Excel spreadsheets still play a large role in managing staff training, according to a survey.  

The ninth global food safety training survey involved Campden BRI, BRCGS, IFS, Kiwa, NSF, Registrar Corp., SGS, SQF, and TSI.

Nalpac is voluntarily recalling DTF Sexual Chocolate it purchased and resold because it has been found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil. 

Sildenafil and tadalafil are the active ingredients in the FDA-approved prescription drugs Viagra and Cialis, respectively, used to treat erectile dysfunction. 

FDA approval of Viagra and Cialis is restricted to use under the supervision of a licensed health care professional. These undeclared ingredients could interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels for those individuals who use prescriptions drugs which contain nitrates. Nalpac has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

The recalled product is packaged in cases containing 20 retail units. The product can be identified by UPC 757817783069 on the product label. The product was available for purchase in adult retail stores and through shopsexology.com and royalsins.com. 

Consumers and retailers that have the recalled product should stop using or selling products and return to the place of purchase or discard immediately.

Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using this product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

• Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
• Regular Mail or Fax: Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

Testing of raw milk sold from farms in Switzerland has detected E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Yersinia.

Scientists said results highlight the potential risk of foodborne infections associated with the consumption of unpasteurized milk, as well as hygiene deficiencies linked to raw milk vending machines.

The FDA has issued a report about a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to mangoes but has redacted key information, including what companies were involved.

The Executive Incident Summary Abstract covers an outbreak of 56 cases, but the states involved have been redacted. The Food and Drug Administration also redacted the name of the importer of the mangoes, the country where the fruit was grown and the names of all firms involved in the outbreak.

Since September 2025, the FDA has been posting Executive Incident Summary Abstracts as a show of “radical transparency” touted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But the reports have been heavily redacted to protect confidential corporate information.

In February this year, The nonprofit Stop Foodborne Illness submitted a petition to FDA urging the agency to adopt a policy of publicly disclosing the names of all companies associated with foodborne illness outbreaks, regardless of whether there is a related recall, arguing that the legal basis on which FDA protects company information is inconsistent. The agency responded saying that the information withheld is covered by the trade secrets act.

The mango outbreak
The FDA received notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 20, 2025, of a cluster of illnesses caused by Salmonella Saintpaul. Local and state public health officials interviewed the sick people and established by the end of December 2025 that mangoes were the suspected food.

The FDA initiated traceback on mango exposures of six patients from (redacted) points of service, including (redacted) traceback legs, with separate supply chains, the details of which were also redacted.

The traceback identified a common mango importer. The importer and the country from which the mangoes originated have been redacted, despite “strong epidemiological association and traceback convergence” confirming these sources, according to the FDA’s report.

Problems with traceback caused the outbreak investigation to be closed with uncertainties, including the source of the mangoes, which was not possible because there was no brand information available. Incomplete grower records from the importer of record also caused investigators problems, as did the comingling of product lots in shipments and the lack of lot code traceability both within production facilities and from distribution centers to retail locations.

The FDA did implement increased screening for (redacted) suppliers of mango to a redacted firm. Samples were not collected because of the timing of identification of the firms and the end of the harvest season in the redacted country of origin.

A survey in Northern Ireland has revealed gaps in knowledge relating to some parts of European Listeria regulation but good compliance with control measures.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) food manufacturers were surveyed on their level of awareness of European regulation 2073/2005, which requires businesses to take measures in their production environments and to sample these areas and associated food products to ensure they are free from Listeria monocytogenes. The survey had 26 questions.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is retracting the public health alert issued on April 1 for Walmart Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets with “Best If Used By” date “Feb 10 2027”  produced by Dorada Foods after confirming that the product does not pose a public health concern. 

The public health alert was originally issued based on routine surveillance sampling conducted by the New York State Department of Public Health that indicated elevated trace levels of lead. Because this product is commonly consumed by children, FSIS issued the alert to inform consumers of a potential risk.

Following the alert, additional sampling was conducted by the New York State Department of Public Health and the producing establishment, Dorada Foods. As part of that process, the original lot of product was tested as well as additional lots.

All follow‑up testing, including testing of the original lot, found no elevated levels of lead in the product.

FSIS subsequently reviewed the underlying laboratory data in coordination with the New York State Department of Health and determined that the initial result was a false positive, caused by sporadic lead contamination at the laboratory during analysis, not contamination of the product itself. Follow up testing confirmed no elevated levels of lead were present in any of the products tested.

FSIS has therefore concluded that the product does not pose a public health concern.

Karns Foods is recalling its approximate 8-ounce packages of "Mini Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cups" because they may contain undeclared peanuts. People who have allergies to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

The recalled "Mini Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cups" were distributed to Karns Foods locations in Pennsylvania. The product comes in an 8-ounce, clear plastic package marked with a pack date on Sept.18, 2025. The company did not provide a product photo with its recall notice. 

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the peanut-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of peanuts as an active ingredient. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's packaging processes.

Products with this pack date were pulled immediately from shelves on January 30, 2026. Notification efforts to registered rewards shoppers who purchased the product were made at that time.

Consumers who have purchased packages of Mini Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cups are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. 

Wawa of Media, PA, is recalling its 16-ounce bottles of Wawa Iced Tea Lemon, Wawa Iced Tea Diet Lemon, Wawa Diet Lemonade and Wawa Fruit Punch produced by the Wawa Beverage Company for sale in a limited number of Wawa stores located in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia because they may contain an undeclared milk allergen.

The recalled products have been removed from sale and disposed of by impacted stores. No Wawa stores in any other state in which Wawa operates are impacted by this recall and no other Wawa branded beverages are included in the recall.

People who have allergies to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. For photos of the recalled products, click here. The products subject to recall include:

Description:

UPC/Code Date:

# of Stores/States Impacted:

Product Image:

Wawa Iced Tea Lemon in 16 oz Pint bottles

UPC: 726191018425 
Code Date: MAY 15, 2026
printed on top of bottle

123 stores in DE, MD, NJ, PA and VA

See Image Below

Wawa Iced Diet Tea Lemon in 16 oz Pint bottle

UPC: 726191018548 
Code Date: MAY 18, 2026 
printed on top of bottle

8 stores in NJ and PA

See Image Below

Wawa Diet Lemonade in 16 oz Pint bottles

UPC: 726191055901
Code Date: May 18, 2026 
printed on top of bottle

12 stores in DE and NJ

See Image Below

Wawa Fruit Punch in 16 oz Pint bottles

UPC: 726191018432 
Code Date: May 19, 2026 
printed on top of bottle

53 stores in DE, MD, NJ, PA and VA

See Image Below

For a full list and addresses of Wawa stores receiving the recalled products and product images, please visit wawa.com Recall Alert Page.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recall was initiated after Wawa identified and corrected a temporary equipment issue that may have resulted in the presence of an undeclared milk allergen in these products.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to dispose of them immediately.

Frozen vegetables grown and processed in Egypt may be linked to a mysterious outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections that erupted in three stages in 2024 and 2025.

According to information obtained by eFoodAlert from the FDA in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the outbreak was first investigated by the CDC in April 2024 without success. The investigation was reopened in August 2024 when additional cases appeared on the CDC’s radar screen. Again, the investigation was closed without a possible source having been determined.

In June 2025, the CDC reopened the investigation once more after an additional five cases attributed to the same outbreak strain were found. One of those cases occurred in December 2024; the other four from January to May 2025.

Although the outbreak comprised 27 cases overall in 13 states, according to the FDA investigation report, the CDC map provided as part of the report only shows locations for 25 of the cases: Connecticut (1), Florida (2), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (2), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (1), New York (8), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode Island (1), and Virginia (1).

Ages of outbreak victims ranged from less than one to 97 years, with a median age of 72 years. Twenty-five of the victims were hospitalized and one person died. Two of the outbreak patients were pregnant women.

The FDA did not conduct an official traceback investigation for this outbreak, as the CDC could not supply strong epidemiological evidence for a possible source. However, the agency did conduct a “limited distribution analysis” for two of the cases.

Although many of the details as to the suspected source have been redacted from the investigation report, the FOIA officials left enough breadcrumbs for eFoodAlert to follow.

The FDA collected records and samples from possible suppliers of the suspect food and, on August 20, 2025, reported positive samples with possible connection to clinical outbreak cases. Eight days later, the CDC advised the FDA that samples collected from one of the suppliers (name redacted in the investigation report supplied to eFoodAlert) was a genetic match for the outbreak strain. Samples collected from the other [unidentified] manufacturer did not match the outbreak strain.

On September 2, 2025, Endico Potatoes Inc. of Mount Vernon, NY recalled two lots of frozen vegetables due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall included one lot each of “frozen peas and carrots” and “mixed vegetables.” According to the Enforcement Report details, the vegetables were imported from Egypt.

In June 2024, the FDA conducted a comprehensive inspection of Endico Potatoes (Inspection ID #1232874) relating to the Foreign Supplier Verification Program. The inspection did not uncover any significant deviations or discrepancies and the results were classified as “No Action Indicated.”

Excerpt from redacted FDA investigation report

The recalled lots of frozen vegetables were manufactured after the last of the outbreak cases was detected, and the recall notice states that no illnesses were reported. Nevertheless, on September 30, 2025, the manufacturer of the frozen vegetables was added to FDA’s Import Alert 99-23, Detention Without Physical Examination of Produce Due to Contamination With Human Pathogens.

The manufacturer and supplier of the recalled vegetables was International Company For Agricultural Production & Processing (ICAPP), headquartered in Cairo, and with production facilities in Ramadan City, Ash Sharqiyah, Egypt. Both the headquarters location and the production plant site were listed in the Import Alert.

On October 22, 2025, the FDA added another supplier to Import Alert 99-23. This supplier, whose samples were positive for Listeria monocytogenes but did not match the outbreak strain, is identified in the Import Alert as Warminskie Zaklady Przetworstwa Owocowo – Warzywnego sp. o.o of Pomorskie, Poland.

Duty to informExcerpt from FDA Investigation Report

This would not be the first time that frozen vegetables have been linked to an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes. In 2016, nine people were infected as a result of consuming frozen vegetables produced by CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington. A Connecticut resident died as a result of the infection, and two other outbreak victims died from other causes.

A separate outbreak between 2015 and 2018 was responsible for at least 47 illnesses and 9 deaths in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. That outbreak was traced to frozen corn and frozen vegetable mixes from a Hungarian freezing plant. 

The author(s) of the FDA investigation report acknowledge that frozen vegetables are an “established vehicle” for Listeria monocytogenes, that the suspect products had an extended shelf life, and that contaminated product might still be in consumers’ homes.

The smoking gun (finding the outbreak strain in a sample of frozen vegetables) wasn’t enough for the FDA and CDC to reach a firm conclusion in this case. Instead, they identifed frozen vegetables as the “suspect vehicle” and withheld this information from the public.

Despite knowing that consumers might still be exposed to contaminated product, and despite the likelihood that frozen vegetables were the source of more than two dozen cases of Listeria monocytogenes, including one death, the FDA and the CDC remained silent.

The FDA could have issued an advisory at the time to alert consumers to the risk. This could have been done without naming the importer or the manufacturer. 

The FDA should have alerted the public to this hazard, reminding consumers that frozen vegetables are not ready-to-eat products, but must be cooked thoroughly before being consumed.

The redacted FDA investigation report is an excellent example of redaction overreach.

The FOIA officer redacted information on the number of outbreak cases and their geographic distribution, even though that information was readily available in the CDC outbreak map included in the same report.

Other information that was redacted even though the information was publicly available included: the identity of the companies added to Import Alert 99-23, the details of the 2016 Listeria monocytogenes in the United States, and the details of the 2015-2018 outbreak in several European countries.

Certainly, proprietary information (e.g., product formulations and supply chain information) should be redacted as a matter of course. But, there is absolutely no justification to redacting information that is readily available to the public from other published sources.

Here is a link to the full redacted FDA Investigation Report as supplied to eFoodAlert in response to our FOIA request.

Hilton Foods has disclosed costs of £28 million ($37 million) as part of an incident involving a recall of fish in the United States because of Listeria.

The inventory write-off and operational disruption was related to contamination and regulatory action involving Hilton Seafood Holland, which trades as Foppen.