When folks in New Orleans are looking for a healthy way to snack, they often turn to food products — such as certain kinds of granola and snack bars — made with sunflowers seeds. People choosing these foods may be avoiding some of the dangers associated with red meat and processed foods. Unfortunately, they may be unknowingly putting themselves into a more immediate kind of danger, thanks to possibly negligent food contamination.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced a product recall of a company’s granola and snack bar products after it was discovered that sunflower seeds used as an ingredient may be contaminated with dangerous bacteria.
The products recalled have certain date codes identified by the FDA. Consumers with these products should throw them away or return them to where they were purchased.
The snack bars and granola, along with a number of other products containing the suspect sunflower seeds, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium can negatively impact older adults, newborns, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.
Listeria is a serious health risk to those who come into contact with food contaminated with the bacterium. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1,600 people get sick from listeria each year in the United States. About 260 of these people die.
The presence of harmful bacteria is one of a number of defective conditions that may affect food products. If one has been negatively impacted by defective food products or other products, a personal injury attorney may be able to provide information about the legal options.
Source: KHON, “Kashi Company amends product recall due to listeria concerns,” June 17, 2016