Avocados Recalled Due to Listeria Risk

Millennials hoping to get their avocado toast fix will have a difficult time after a California avocado grower voluntarily recalled whole avocados sold to stores in six states over the possibility of listeria contamination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Saturday that Henry Avocado Corporation has voluntarily recalled hole avocados sold in Arizona, California, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin after fruit at the California facility tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

"Henry Avocado is issuing this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution due to positive test results on environmental samples taken during a routine government inspection at its California packing facility," the company said in a statement.

Customers can identify the affected products by one of two types of stickers on the skin. Organic avocados are labeled "organic" and include "California" on the stickers, while conventional products (non-organic) have a "Bravocado" label on the sticker.

Consumers/retailers can identify recalled non-organic avocados by looking for a “Bravocado” sticker. Organic, recalled products are labeled “organic” & include “California” on the stickers. Retailers can identify Henry Avocado organic products by the bar code on the stickers. pic.twitter.com/KCo5iOu5zZ

— Frank Yiannas (@FrankYiannasFDA) March 25, 2019

Avocados imported from Mexico and distributed by Henry Avocado are not subject to the recall.

"We are voluntarily recalling our products and taking every action possible to ensure the safety of consumers who eat our avocados," Phil Henry, President of Henry Avocado, said in a statement.

No illnesses related to the recall have yet been reported, and the company states that the voluntary recall is "out of an abundance of caution."

Customers who have purchased the recalled avocados are being urged to not to consume them, but to discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Henry Avocado Corporation is also "contacting all affected customers to confirm that the recalled products are immediately removed from store shelves."

Consumers with further questions may contact Henry Avocado at (760) 745-6632, Ext 132 or visit www.henryavocado.com/media.

Listeria, caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is a serious infection typically caused by consuming contaminated food. The bacterium typically affects young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women, and others with weakened immune systems. It can cause high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In some cases, it can be fatal. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis every year, with roughly 260 of the cases being fatal.