Voluntary recall issued for a variety of salad kits

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health Food and Drug Branch is alerting residents of a voluntary recall alert by Ready Pac Foods of four varieties of their salad kits because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

These salad kits were sold throughout the United States, including Walmart and Costco in Hawaiʻi, and are being recalled because they contain cheese products recently recalled by Rizo Lopez Foods for Listeria monocytogenes that were first identified by the DOH Laboratory and FDB.

As of Feb. 9, there have been no adverse events reported nationwide, and Disease Outbreak Control Division-Disease Investigation Branch has not encountered any cases in Hawaiʻi attributable to this recall.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection as a result of eating Listeria-contaminated food. The disease primarily affects pregnant individuals, newborns, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.

Healthy individuals may suffer symptoms such as fever, severe headache, muscle aches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and/or diarrhea. Although people can develop listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food, symptoms will usually start within several days from consumption, often with diarrhea. Listeriosis may be treated with antibiotics.

Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you are exhibiting symptoms after having consumed any of the recalled products.

The FDB advises consumers to check for the salad kits listed below and dispose of them immediately, including the individual packets of cheese, or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers who purchased the recalled products may contact Ready Pac Foods Consumer Affairs at 1-800-7822 (7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday) or by emailing [email protected] for additional information.