Sliced Apples Recalled For Potential Listeria Contamination

Appeeling Fruit Inc., a company in Dauberville, Pennsylvania, has issued a recall for a number of packages of sliced apples, citing concerns over listeria contamination.

The affected product was distributed to retail centers and wholesale companies in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania between August 31 and September 2. The recall applies to items with best-if-used-by dates between September 14 and September 21. Labeling for these products varies by their intended retailer.

Listeria monocytogenes, the same bacteria found in a number of Blue Bell products, forcing the company to recall its entire product line for several months, can be fatal to the young, elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Healthy individuals may only suffer temporary symptoms including high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, but the bacteria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

In a statement, Steve Cygan, president of Appeeling Fruit, stated that, although no related illnesses have yet to be reported, "We are issuing this recall to reduce even the slightest risk to public health." Consumers in possession of the contaminated apples are asked to dispose of the products or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Earlier this week, health officials confirmed the second casualty in the multistate salmonella outbreak, an unrelated pandemic affecting cucumbers imported from Mexico and sold by a produce company in California.