The FDA has issued an urgent update for a recall of Enoki mushrooms, warning that the fungi could kill or cause serious health problems.
The mushrooms sold nationwide in seven-ounce green plastic bags from HoFood99 were recalled over fears they were contaminated with listeria.
Affected mushrooms were sold in bags with the UPC code, found under the barcode, of 6 976532 310051.
The FDA has upgraded the recall to ‘Class I,’ the highest level and meaning the mushrooms pose a risk of ‘causing serious health consequences or death‘.
No illnesses or deaths from the mushrooms have been reported to date.
But the FDA is urging anyone who may have the fungi at home to throw them out immediately or return place of purchase for a full refund.
The FDA is not concerned that the mushrooms themselves, popular in stir frys and hot pots, could cause death, but that the listeria on them could be fatal.
It follows a recall of a separate brand of mushrooms over listeria contamination that was issued this weekend.
Exposure to listeria, especially in older adults or those with underlying health conditions, can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening complication where the immune system overreacts and damages the body’s own organs.
The recall was first announced on June 11, but the FDA has now released an update scheduling it as a Class I recall.
Products found to be contaminated with listeria are generally marked as Class I recalls.
While the mushrooms can stay fresh for around seven to ten days in refrigerators, regulators fear some may still be lurking in people’s freezers.
The updated notice affects about 90 boxes of the mushrooms that were all sold in California.
It wasn’t clear how they became contaminated, but this can happen if mushrooms are irrigated with water contaminated with animal feces, which may contain listeria.
If one Enoki mushroom contaminated with listeria enters a factory, it can quickly spread the bacteria to a machine, which then spreads it to other mushrooms.
The contamination was discovered after samples were collected from a store in Michigan and tested for the bacteria.
About 1,600 people are sickened by listeria in the US every year, with almost all catching the bacteria from contaminated food, and 260 die from the disease.
Warning signs of a listeria infection include fever, chills, headache, diarrhea and nausea or vomiting.
In serious cases, where the bacteria spreads beyond the digestive system, patients may also suffer from confusion, loss of balance, stiff neck and seizures.
Symptoms of the infection normally start within a few days to two weeks after consuming a contaminated product.
Pregnant women are also considered to be particularly at risk from the bacteria, with doctors warning that it can cause a miscarriage, preterm birth or stillbirth.
Doctors normally treat a listeria infection using antibiotics available on prescription like sulfamethoxazole and ampicillin.
Those who have mild symptoms of the infection, however, and who are not pregnant may not be offered treatment for the disease.