Why did FDA announce recall on ready-to-eat Walmart Broccoli? Drama explained

California’s Braga Fresh has voluntarily issued a recall of Broccoli bags sold at Walmart due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

The announcement was made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 31, 2024. According to the FDA, the recall applies to 12-ounce bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets with Best Use By date of December 10, 2024, distributed across 20 states.

Reports indicated that the potential risk of contamination was discovered after a sample from a Texas Walmart store tested positive.

The Marketside Broccoli Florets sold at Walmart stores across the country have UPC code 6 81131 32884 5 on the back of the bag, and Lot Code: BFFG327A6 on the front of the bag.

All affected products are part expiration date and no longer available for sale, as per the administration. However, the FDA issued the advisory as a precautionary measure for consumers who might have frozen the product for longer use, asking customers to avoid consuming the product and discard it immediately. As of now, no cases of illness have been reported owing to broccoli contamination.

What is Listeria monocytogenes?

According to the FDA, "Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems."

The FDA further added the organism might not have a deep impact on healthy people, who “may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.” However, the infection can be highly hazardous for pregnant women because it “can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women."

Where was the contaminated broccoli sold?

The contaminated broccoli that was eventually recalled was being sold at Walmarts across US states including Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Speaking to the New York Post, a Walmart person said, “The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority.” He advised people to discard any leftover Marketside Broccoli Florets they may have stocked, adding:

“While the expiration date for the potentially impacted Marketside Broccoli Florets has past and the product is no longer in stores, we encourage customers who may still have this product in their homes, such as stored in freezers, to not consume and to discard the product.”

He further said:

“At this time, there have been no reported illnesses associated with this advisory, and we are working with the supplier to investigate.”

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This is not the first time Listeria traces have been found in a product. In November 2024, TreeHouse Foods expanded a recall of its products that included more than 40 brands of frozen waffles and pancakes owing to the risk of Listeria contamination.

The possible contaminated products were sold at retailers such as Target, Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Dollar General, and Wegman’s, among others.

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