Dec 19, 2017

Listeria risk prompts apple recall by Jack Brown Produce

Sparta, Michigan’s Jack Brown Produce has recalled Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp shipped under the Apple Ridge brand from Dec. 11 to Dec. 16, 2017.

The company said in a released statement that the apples were possibly contaminated with listeria.

The recalled apples were distributed through retail stores in Michigan, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio. No illnesses have been reported as of noon Tuesday, Dec. 19.

The recall was the result of a routine sampling program at Nyblad Orchards which revealed that finished products contained the bacteria listeria monocytogenes, according to the announcement from Jack Brown Produce.

Jack Brown Produce stopped distribution of any further products processed at Nyblad Orchards as the FDA and the company continue to investigate what caused the problem.

Otherwise healthy individuals infected withlisteria monocytogenes may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. However, the bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Listeria infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The product at issue consists of the following types of apples sold or distributed by Jack Brown Produce, Inc. under the brand name “Apple Ridge” including:

1. Honeycrisp apples in two-pound clear plastic bags;
2.  Gala, Fuji, and Golden Delicious apples in 3-pound clear plastic bags;
3. Fuji and Gala apples in 5-pound red-netted mesh bags; and
4. Gala, Fuji and Honeycrisp apples that were tray-packed/individually sold.

The potentially-affected product can be identified by the following lot numbers printed on the bag label and/or bag-closure clip:

Fuji: NOI 163, 165, 167, 169, 174

Honeycrisp: NOI 159, 160, 173

Golden Delicious: NOI 168

Gala: NOI 164, 166 on either the product labels and/or bag-closure clip.

Consumers who have purchased Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious Apples under the brand name “Apple Ridge” on or after December 11, 2017, are urged to destroy the product and contact Jack Brown Produce, Inc. for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 616-887-9568 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST) and ask for Lisa Ingalls.

Above and below are some examples of the packaging and tags of the recalled apples. Photos: Jack Brown Produce