Here’s what you need to know:
- Date: December 27, 2024
- Announced by: FDA on December 31, 2024
- Company: Braga Fresh
- Brand: Marketside
- Product: Marketside Broccoli Florets
- Issue: Listeria monocytogenes
- Product details: 12oz bag of washed and ready-to-eat broccoli
Keep reading to know all the details!
What happened?
On December 27, 2024, the California-based company Braga Fresh voluntarily recalled their 12oz Marketside Broccoli Florets, sold exclusively at Walmart. Why? The Texas Health & Human Services randomly sampled the products sold at a random Texas store and discovered they were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. These products were distributed to Walmart locations in AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MT, NV, OH, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA, and WY.
Company | Brand | Product | Size | Lot code | UPC code | Best by Date | Issue | Picture |
Braga Fresh | Marketside | Broccoli Florets | Washed and ready-to-eat 12oz bags | BFFG327A6 | 6 81131 32884 5 | Dec 10, 2024 | Listeria |  |
What caused the issue?
The products were found to have Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Here’s what you should do
If you have purchased this product, take action! Here’s how:
- Check the label:
UPC code: 6 81131 32884 5
Best by: Dec 10, 2024
Lot code: BFFG327A6 - Identify the product:
Marketside Broccoli Florets - What you should do:
Consumers who have this product in their possession should not consume and discard the product. - Contact info:
Those with additional questions may contact 877-456-7445: Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm PST or email [email protected].
Behind the brand
For three generations the Braga family has been a constant in the agricultural industry, farming from the Salinas Valley to Yuma, Arizona. Well-known by shippers, processors, and now retailers, Braga Fresh is synonymous with high quality organic and conventional fresh vegetables and salads. As a vertically integrated company, they continue to mix innovation with tradition to grow, process and ship fresh vegetables worldwide.
Listeria is a bacteria that unfortunately hits many companies in the industry. Just last month, on December 11, New Age International Inc, the company behind Daily Veggies, issued a recall after testing by the Maryland Department of Health Laboratories revealed that samples of their Enoki Mushrooms contained Listeria monocytogenes. And, on December 2 Baker Farms issued a recall, after being notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services that their Curly Mustard tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
Ensuring safe eats!
Food safety recalls are a big deal in the industry. Consumers trust companies to deliver safe and healthy products, so when something goes wrong, it shakes that trust. Fortunately, quick action helps limit the damage and keeps consumers safe. The key takeaway for companies: Act fast! Transparency is critical, and quick responses like this one help maintain consumer confidence.
“Food safety is paramount in our industry, and every recall serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility we all share to protect consumers. Contamination issues, like those caused by Listeria monocytogenes, highlight the need for rigorous testing, transparency, and swift action. As suppliers, we must prioritize the integrity of the products we bring to market, ensuring that our ingredients are not only of the highest quality but also safe for consumption. In the end, it’s not just about maintaining trust—it’s about safeguarding public health.” Eran Mizrahi, Source86’ CEO.
If you want to know more about recalls like this one here, make sure to get in contact with our team and stay in the loop.
