November has been an active month for food recalls in the leadup to one of the biggest eating holidays of the year.
From carrots and poultry to tortilla strips and ground beef, foodborne illness and outbreaks like E. coli and listeria have been the primary cause of the recurring recalls, some of which have resulted in hospitalizations and deaths.
While it may seem food recalls are on a dramatic uphill slope, data from theFood and Drug Administration shows no major uptick in the recalls, most of which are voluntarily issued by companies. Instead, it seems more likely the public and health officials are simply paying more attention and getting better at identifying outbreaks quickly.
Even so, with a new recall seemingly issued every day, that can be difficult for the average consumer to keep track of, especially when working on that Thanksgiving shopping list. Here is a recap of the major food recalls issued in November.
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Grimmway Farms carrots
On November 16, 2024, Grimmway Farms recalled multiple sizes and brands of bagged organic baby and whole carrots for possible E. coli contamination.
As of the latest CDC update on Nov. 17, a total of 39 people across 18 states became sick in the outbreak, resulting in 15 hospitalizations and one death in California.
Other states reporting illnesses included Arkansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming
The affected baby carrots had best if used by dates ranging from 9/11/2024 to 11/12/2024. The whole organic carrots did not have use-by dates but were sold at stores between 8/14/2024 and 10/23/2024.
The recalled products were sold under brand names 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Marketside, Nature's Promise, O-Organic, President's Choice, Raley's, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Wegmans and Wholesome Pantry.
Several individual brands like Whole Foods have issued their own separate recalls of related products. Any recalled products should be disposed of immediately.
Yu Shang Food poultry
On Nov. 9, Yu Shang Food issued an initial recall of 4,589 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products for listeria concerns. On Nov. 21, the recall expanded to include a total of72,240 pounds, including all Yu Shang Food, Inc. products made before October 28, 2024.
As of the latest update provided by the CDC on Nov. 22, a total of 11 cases of listeria poisoning across 4 states, including nine hospitalizations and one death. Illnesses occurred in California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. In California, one pregnant person and their twins became sick, resulting in both infants dying. Because listeria testing only came back positive for one infant, just one death is recorded in the official record as related to the recall.
If consumers have Yu Shang Food products with establishment numbers "P46684" or "EST. M46684" and/or that were produced before October 28, 2024, they should immediately be disposed of.
Sugar Foods tortilla strips
On Nov. 22, Sugar Food recalled3.5-ounce pouches of Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips Santa Fe Styledue topotential wheat contamination. According to the FDA, the brand was notified by a customer that a bag of the tortilla strips contained the company's Crispy Onion Strips. The onion strips contain wheat that the tortilla strips do not.
The recalled tortilla strips bear a UPC code of 7 87359 17504 6 and a best-by date of June 20, 2025.
No illnesses have been reported but the recall announcement states that "people who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product."
The bags were sent to distribution centers between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Wolverine Packing Co. ground beef
On Nov. 20, Wolverine Packing Co. recalled 167,200 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef productsover E. coli concerns.
According to the USDA, over 100 products manufactured by Detroit-based company are subject to recall after illnesses were reported by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. While the products were distributed to restaurants nationwide, 15 cases of E. coli poisoning have been identified in just Minnesota.
The recall covers over 100 raw fresh and frozen ground beef products. Products are sold under other brand names in addition to Wolverine Packing Co., including 1855 Beef, Davis Creek Meals, Farmer's Choice, Heritage Restaurant Brands, and Cheney Brothers, Inc., according to alist of labels released by the USDA.
Fresh products have a “use by” date of 11/14/2024 and the frozen products are labeled with a production date of 10/22/24.All impacted products have the establishment number “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Affected products could still be in restaurant refrigerators and should be immediately disposed of.
Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Julia Gomez, Greta Cross, James Powel, Mike Snider, USA TODAY
