Nationwide Recall Issued for Fruits Sold Between May and November
By Dolores Quintana
HMC Group Marketing, Inc., operating as HMC Farms, is initiating a voluntary recall of peaches, plums, and nectarines sold in retail stores between May 1 and November 15, 2022, and May 1 and November 15, 2023. The recall stems from potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium capable of causing severe and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in vulnerable populations.
While healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeria infection poses a greater risk to young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women are also at risk of miscarriages and stillbirths due to Listeriosis.
- Nationwide distribution
- Sold individually with PLU stickers or in consumer packaging
- Sold at retail stores between May 1 and November 15, 2022, and May 1 and November 15, 2023
- Excludes organic fruit; only conventionally grown fruit is subject to recall
- Currently, available peaches, plums, and nectarines in retail stores are unaffected
The recalled peaches have been linked to 11 reported cases of Listeriosis in the United States. There are three cases of Listeria linked to this recall in California, one resulted in death and another caused a pregnant woman who became sick to go into premature labor.
If you have any of this possibly contaminated fruit, do not eat any recalled peaches, nectarines, and plums. Check your home, including your refrigerator and freezer, for any recalled fruit. If you think you have any, throw them away or return them to the store. It is also important to clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled fruit. Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
Call a healthcare provider right away if you have these symptoms after eating recalled fruit: Pregnant people usually have a fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
