Hofood99 Inc. is recalling packages of their Enoki Mushrooms due to fears the product may be contaminated with listeria.
Newsweek reached out to the company via phone for additional comment on Wednesday and left a voicemail.
Why It Matters
Numerous recalls have been initiated this year due to the potential for the following: damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens.
Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or food allergies every year. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine “major” food allergens in the U.S. are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, Crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts.
The FDA warns that Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that could cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in frail or older people, young children and those with weakened immune systems.
Listeria could also lead to stillbirths or miscarriages in pregnant women, the FDA says.
What To Know
According to the FDA alert, the mushrooms were distributed nationwide to stores and retailers. The recalled mushrooms are sold in 200-gram green plastic packaging with a with UPC Barcode of 6 976532 310051 seen on the back label.
No illnesses or injuries have been reported related to the recalled mushrooms.
The mushrooms were distributed by Hofood99 Inc., located at 21903 56th Avenue Oakland Gardens, New York 11364.
What People Are Saying
The FDA in the alert in part: “The contamination was discovered after samples were collected from a store in Michigan and subsequent analysis by Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) Laboratory Division revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.”
In an email to Newsweek in January, the FDA said: “Most recalls in the U.S. are carried out voluntarily by the product manufacturer and when a company issues a public warning, typically via news release, to inform the public of a voluntary product recall, the FDA shares that release on our website as a public service.
“The FDA’s role during a voluntary, firm-initiated, recall is to review the recall strategy, evaluate the health hazard presented by the product, monitor the recall, and as appropriate alert the public and other companies in the supply chain about the recall,” the FDA continued.
It added: “The FDA provides public access to information on recalls by posting a listing of recalls according to their classification in the FDA Enforcement Report, including the specific action taken by the recalling company. The FDA Enforcement Report is designed to provide a public listing of products in the marketplace that are being recalled.”
Additional information on recalls can be found via the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts.
What Happens Next
Customers who have purchased the recalled mushrooms may return the product to the original place of purchase for a full refund or destroy it, the FDA says.
People with additional questions may contact the company at (917) 756-9833 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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