4/8/2011
Fresh Express is voluntarily recalling 2,939 cases of 9-oz. Bag Spinach with product codes starting with H081 and H082, UPC code of 7127913204 and use-by dates of April 6 and 7 due to a positive test result for Salmonella from random sample testing, according to a release posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.
No illnesses have been reported and the company says it is initiating the recall out of an abundance of caution.
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said notice has gone out to West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) Regulatory Officers, who will be on the lookout for recalled products on grocery store shelves.
“Some of this product may have been distributed in West Virginia and it’s important that consumers check any spinach they may have to ensure it’s not subject to this recall,” said Commissioner Douglass. “A number of West Virginia farmers grow and sell spinach, but most of them won’t have any ready until later in the year. Your local farmers’ market is a great place to get fresh, locally sourced produce.”
Commissioner Douglass noted that some produce is available from greenhouse growers, and that the WVDA is working with producers on projects that will extend the growing season for state farmers. More information is available at
www.wvagriculture.org, or by calling 304-558-3708.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should not consume it, but rather return the product to their retailer for a full refund. Consumers with questions may call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at 800-242-5472, Monday-Friday, 5 a.m.-8 p.m., Pacific Time.
Consumers can find the product code and use-by date in the upper right-hand corner of the package and the UPC code in the lower left on the reverse side of the package. Label photos are available at
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm250191.htm.
Fresh Express customer service representatives are contacting retailers to ensure recalled product is removed from store shelves. The identified 9-oz. Bag Spinach was distributed to seven states with the potential for redistribution to an additional seven states.
- Distribution: Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine.
- Possible Redistribution: New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Ohio and DC.
Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food-borne illness in a person who eats a food item contaminated with it. Symptoms may include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Anyone can contract Salmonella infection but the risk is greatest in young children, elderly persons and persons with lowered natural resistance to infection due to pregnancy, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes and other diseases. For more information, contact WVDA Communications Officer Buddy Davidson at 304-558-3708 or bdavidson@wvda.us.
Contact Information
Buddy Davidson, Communications Officer
304-558-3708; 304-541-5932 (cell)
bdavidson@ag.state.wv.us