Carmel Gala & Granny Smith Apples Recall

An Apple a day is not what the doctor would recommend when it comes to caramel Gala or Granny Smith apples. A warning is out that there’s a Gala apple recall in effect. According to the FDA, Granny Smith apples and Gala apples appear on their 2015 list of recalled foods and products, with Bidart Bros., out of Bakersfield, California, issuing the Gala apple recall, based on apples shipped from its Shafter, California, plant last year. As of this writing, the Gala and Granny Smith apple recall appears to be limited to caramel apples, but stay tuned to the FDA website for more information about the recall.

The FDA CDC and state and local officials are investigating an outbreak of listeriosis linked to commercially-produced, prepackaged whole caramel apples.

According to the CDC, as of January 9, 2015, 32 people infected with the outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 11 states.  The CDC reports that 31 ill people have been hospitalized to date.  Listeriosis has been the cause of three deaths. Ten illnesses were pregnancy-related, with one illness resulting in a fetal loss.

"The CDC reports that 25 of the 28 ill people interviewed reported eating commercially-produced, prepackaged whole caramel apples" according to the FDA. As of now caramel apple brands named include Happy Apple, Carnival and Merb’s Candies. The investigation is still on going.

Ways to know if your apples may be on the list is that they might be labeled “Big B” or “Granny’s Best” — but the FDA reports that the apples in the recall might not have any label at all. Major grocery stores only has a “4135 USA” number on it, but there’s doesn't specify if it's origins is from Ohio or the tainted California plant. The best recommendation is to ask your grocer to ask if Bidart Bros. supplied these Gala apples to determine if they are part of the recall.

The FDA has also published more recently updated information about other brands in the Gala apple recall, with a list of states affected, so reference the FDA website for more states on the recall list.

"Happy Apple caramel apples are sold in single pack, three packs, four packs and eight packs and each package will have a best use by date on the front of the label. They were available for retail sale through grocery, discount and club stores, generally in the produce section and were distributed to retailers in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin."

The Inquisitr reports that the family of Shirlee Frey filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Happy Apple Company in December 2014 after she ate a caramel apple bought from Safeway, fell ill, and died the same day.

To learn more go to the FDA site for updates: Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks