FDA: Celery Sold at Walmart Recalled Over Potentially ‘Fatal' Bacteria

Yahoo

16-04-2025

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. is recalling its Marketside Celery Sticks over listeria concerns.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert, advising customers to immediately discontinue use and discard any products included in the recall.
Learn which lots are affected, below.
It may be time to double-check your produce drawer because another food recall has consumers on high alert. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced a recall of celery over a potentially 'fatal' bacterial contamination.
Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. issued the voluntary recall of the affected produce on April 10, 2025, according to the announcement shared on the FDA website, warning customers about a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The April 2025 recall involves pre-cut, washed, and ready-to-eat Marketside Celery Sticks distributed to Walmart stores across more than half the country.
The celery in question was sold in four-count, 1.6-ounce packs that include a Best If Used By date of 03/23/2025 on the package. While the FDA notes that the celery has been removed from store shelves and is past its best-by date, affected product could still be in consumers' freezers. In addition to the best-if-used-by date, the FDA says you'll need to look for Lot Code: P047650, which should appear on the front of the celery's packaging.
The company says it became aware of a possible contamination after a random test performed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture came back positive.
According to the FDA, Listeria monocytogenes can cause 'serious and sometimes fatal' infections in the very young and the very old, or those with certain pre-existing health conditions. It may cause symptoms that range from mild to severe, and include stiffness, abdominal pains and diarrhea, fever, headache, and more. Those who are pregnant are also at an increased risk. Listeria monocytogenes may cause pregnancy loss or even stillbirth. As such, it's crucial to check both your refrigerator and freezer to make sure that you don't have the recalled items in your possession. Fortunately, the FDA says that no illnesses have been reported in relation to this recall at the time of the announcement.
Anyone with questions about the recall should contact the company directly by emailing [e-mail]. You can also get more information, including a full list of the states these products were distributed to, by visiting the FDA website.
If it feels like there have been a lot of product recalls lately, that's because there have been. But, that doesn't mean that our foods are any less safe. Experts previously told Prevention that a combination of factors is causing these product recalls, including more robust testing, better methods to detect food safety issues sooner, staffing issues, and a rise in ready-to-eat foods like these celery sticks, which present more opportunities for bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes to grow.
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