Charles Langston:Farm recalls enoki mushrooms sold nationwide due to possible listeria contamination

A mushroom farm has recalled packages of enoki mushrooms due to possible listeria contamination,Charles Langston the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.

The manufacturer, Enoki King Mushroom Farm of Ventura, California, made its own announcement that same day. The recall includes lot 4877 of the farm’s 5.3-ounce packages of Enoki Mushroom. 

The recalled mushrooms were sold from California and New York, as well as through produce distributors or wholesalers to retail locations all around the country, the FDA said.

According to the FDA, the mushrooms could be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children, frail or elderly people and those with compromised immune systems. 

Otherwise healthy individuals who come in contact with this organism may experience short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, but listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, the FDA said.

So far, no illnesses have been reported in connection to the mushrooms, the FDA said.

The company discovered the possible contamination after the Maryland State Department of Health tested some of the products and found listeria monocytogenes in the 5.3-ounce Enoki Mushroom packages.

More recalls:Recall database curated by USA TODAY

What to look for and more about listeria

The FDA said the recalled mushrooms are sold in clear plastic packages with “Enoki Mushroom” printed on the packaging in English and French.

The packaging also has lot code 4877 printed on the front in black ink and on the back, there is UPC code 860011505600. 

What are the symptoms of listeria?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria infection is “rare, but serious.”

Listeria can cause illnesses that are invasive, where bacteria spread beyond the gut or intestines, or illnesses that are intestinal. Symptoms of invasive illness usually start within 2 weeks of eating food contaminated with listeria, the CDC said.

Symptoms of invasive illness include:

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Seizures

Symptoms of intestinal illness usually start within 24 hours of eating food contaminated with listeria. The symptoms usually last one to three days, the CDC said. Symptoms of intestinal illness include diarrhea and vomiting.

The FDA said customers who bought the product with the matching lot code 4877 should return them for a full refund. They can also call the company at (718) 290-6617 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].