Packaged Walnuts Are Being Recalled For A Listeria Risk

Following guidelines and being aware of dangerous food safety mistakes is crucial for keeping yourself and anyone for whom you cook healthy. Keeping an eye on food recalls can fall under that umbrella — especially if you happen to be allergic to some ingredients. Undeclared milk and peanuts were among the most common reasons for food recalls in 2023, and also on that list were 12 instances where a product was recalled after being found to be contaminated with listeria, a bacteria that can be potentially deadly. 

There have been a number of major food recalls in 2024. In August, listeria monocytogenes was back in the headlines when the FDA updated an earlier alert involving walnuts to label it as a Class I recall. What exactly is the severity of a Class I recall? It's the most severe category and is issued when the products in question can cause serious illness or even death. 

This recall was for shelled walnuts packaged and sold by California's Stutz Packing Company, and the updated alert came about a month after the company issued its initial voluntary recall for its Shelled Walnuts one-pound packages. The bags are clear with a white box outlined in red and have the lot code 241711 or 241721 on the bag. Anyone possessing these bags has been advised to throw it away or return it.

When the FDA issues food recalls, they aren't always immediately classified as I (the most severe), II, or III (the least severe). The Stutz recall came after listeria was detected in random and routine samples. Although there were no reported illnesses at the time of the initial recall, it's easy to see why this particular incident received the Class I designation. 

Listeria is a type of food poisoning that is most dangerous to groups, including young children and people with compromised immune systems. Notably, the products in question — distributed in Texas and Arizona — were sent to food bank warehouses. Those warehouses supplied distribution centers that work with organizations like schools and shelters, which serve some of those who are most vulnerable to the life-threatening consequences of listeria.

The company stresses that listeria has not been found in any other products save the packages and lot numbers covered by the recall. At the time of the updated warning, customers with questions were instructed to contact Sasha Morales at Stutz via smorales@stutzpacking.com.

Organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider listeria incredibly dangerous. When it comes to deaths from foodborne illnesses, it rounds out the top four causes (along with salmonella, norovirus, and toxoplasma gondii). In many people, falling ill with listeria feels like having the flu, which can pass in just a few days. However, when the infection spreads beyond the intestinal tract, it becomes classified as an invasive illness. That's when it can start to cause symptoms like headaches, confusion, a loss of balance, and even seizures.

If an invasive version of listeria happens to someone pregnant, it can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, or a potentially deadly infection in the baby. Consequences are devastating in about 20% of the cases diagnosed alongside pregnancy, and it's serious for those who aren't pregnant, too. In those instances, it's deadly in one out of every six cases, results in hospitalization about 87% of the time, and is frequently associated with infections of the blood and brain.

Listeria recalls should be taken seriously. At the same time the packaged walnut recall hit, another listeria recall showed just how dangerous this foodborne illness could be. After Boar's Head recalled more than 7.2 million pounds of deli meats, the media reported that as of the beginning of August 2024, 43 people were hospitalized, and three — one person each in Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia — had died. If you feel you or someone you know are showing symptoms of listeria, contact your doctor immediately.