US: Nationwide recall of bagged salads expands

Various bagged salads, some sold nationwide, are being recalled because of possible contamination with listeria bacteria. The salads range from iceberg lettuce to slaw mix. They are sold under various brand names, including River Ranch, Farm Stand, Hy-Vee, Shurfresh, and The Farmer's Market.

Although listeria may not cause severe disease in most people, older people and people with suppressed immune systems are at risk of potentially fatal illness. Listeria can cause miscarriages in pregnant women. Even healthy people may experience high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea from listeria food poisoning.

However, no illnesses associated with the recalled salads have been reported. The contamination was found during a routine, random FDA inspection of salads in the marketplace.

The recalled retail and food service salad bags have either "Best By" code dates of 12MAY2012 - 22MAY2012 or a Julian date between 116 and 125. The code date is typically located in the upper right hand corner of the bags.

Source: www.webmd.com