4um: Quaker Oats issues recall over Listeria concerns, just months after dealing with glyphosate poisoning allegations

Title: Quaker Oats issues recall over Listeria concerns, just months after dealing with glyphosate poisoning allegations
Source: [None]
URL Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/054213_Quaker_Oats_listeria_recall.html
Published: May 31, 2016
Author: Sarah Landers
Post Date: 2016-05-31 19:30:59 by BTP Holdings
Keywords: None
Views: 79
Comments: 3

Quaker Oats issues recall over Listeria concerns, just months after dealing with glyphosate poisoning allegations

(NaturalNews) Popular brand Quaker Oats announced earlier this month that there would be a voluntary U.S. recall of a small quantity of its Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars, due to the possible risk of Listeria contamination. The Quaker Oats Company, which is a unit of PepsiCo, said that although there have been no reported illnesses, it was issuing the recall "out of an abundance of caution," as reported by CNBC.

Quaker is reportedly working closely with the US Food and Drug Administration to investigate the issue, after an ingredient supplier has been found to have distributed sunflower kernels that may have been contaminated by the bacteria – which can either be completely harmless, or cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, according to CNBC.

According to About Listeria, exposure to the bacteria can lead to an infection that varies from mild to severe, and an illness called listeriosis. Those suffering with only mild side effects from listeriosis might suffer with the sudden onset of fever, chills, severe headache and vomiting. Most healthy adults who consume contaminated foods experience only mild to moderate symptoms. However, pregnant women are more susceptible, because they have a mildly impaired immune system. On rare occasions, severe forms of the illness can occur – including septic shock, meningitis and encephalitis.

Quaker Oats isn't the only company to have instigated a voluntary recall of their products; there has also been a huge recall of frozen foods involving millions of packages of fruits and vegetables that have been shipped across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The recall covers more than 400 products from CRF Frozen Foods sold under over 40 different brand names at major retailers like Costco, Target, Trader Joe's and Safeway, as reported by News Max.

Thus far, as a result of that particular outbreak, eight people have become ill after being exposed to a strain of Listeria that is genetically similar to that found in CRF vegetables, and two have actually died – though Listeria was not the primary cause of death.

As noted by CNBC, the Quaker Oats Company manufactures hot cereals, pancake syrups, grain-based snacks and flavored rice products. However, the recall covers only Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars Chocolate Nut Medley and Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars Yogurt, Fruit and Nut Medley – and the company believes that the vast majority of potentially affected products have been prevented from reaching retail shelves.

Despite recent high hopes for the Quaker Oats Company regarding the clear labeling of GMO products, and moving away from glyphosate, the company is currently being sued for labeling their products as "100% natural," when they in fact contain the toxic herbicide glyphosate, as reported by Natural Blaze.

The company has been accused of being "misleading and deceptive" by a group of consumers from multiple states who have launched a class-action lawsuit. The complaint states that "glyphosate made its way into Quaker Oats, allegedly, not simply because it is used as an agricultural weed killer, but because it is sprayed on the oats as a drying agent shortly before they are harvested," according to Natural Blaze. The company is thought to have knowingly used oats contaminated with glyphosate in its Quaker Oats products.

Listeria Prompts Recall Of 42 Brands Of Frozen Fruits & Veggies

Listeria is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections in older adults, pregnant women, newborns and individuals with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea.

CRF said the CDC notified it that seven people from three states have become ill and were hospitalized due to listeria. Some of these illnesses have been linked to consuming CRF-manufactured or processed products. Two of these individuals died, but listeria was not the cause of death in either person, CRF said in a statement.

The expanded recall of frozen vegetables includes all of the frozen organic and non-organic fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods’ Pasco, Washington, facility since May 1, 2014. All of the affected products have the best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018. These include about 358 consumer products sold under 42 different brands.

Products include organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans, Italian beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends and stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries and strawberries. For a complete list of affected products and for the UPC codes, check out the FDA site, www.fda.gov.

CRF initially recalled 15 frozen vegetable items on April 23, 2016 out of concern that they were potentially contaminated with listeria. The listeria was discovered through routine testing by state health officials in Ohio. Listeria was found in one lot of Individually Quick Frozen organic petite green peas and one lot of IQF organic white sweet cut corn. CRF suspended operations at its Pasco facility as of April 25.

CRF apologized for any concern or inconvenience the recall has caused their customers. Consumers who purchased these products may return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund and are warned not to eat these products.

Questions can go to the company at 844-483-3866.

And people have been telling me to get off canned vegs and into frozen all these years :-)