Spinach Recalled

By Allison Schonter

Yet another spinach recall has hit the market. On Dec. 17, Coles Supermarket issued a sweeping recall of various spinach products sold at Coles and Coles Express stores across Australia due to potential contamination with unsafe plant material. Due to the recall, shared by Food Standards Australia & New Zealand (the region's government agency that's comparable to the U.S. FDA or USDA), consumers have been advised not to eat the recalled products.

The recall includes a list of spinach products that were available for purchase in stores in the Australian territories of Queensland (QLD), New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Victoria, South Australia (SA), and the Northern Territory (NT). Included in the recall is Coles Spinach 60g,120g (UBD 23 DEC, NSW), 280g (UBD 23 DEC, VIC only); Coles Chef Blend Tender Leaf 150g (UBD 22 DEC, VIC, NSW, SA, NT only); and Coles Baby Leaf Blend 300g (UBD 22 DEC, VIC, NSW, SA, NT only), all of which were available for sale in Coles Supermarkets and Coles Local and through Coles Online. The recall also includes several products that were available for purchase in Coles Supermarkets and through Coles Express and Coles Online in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland with use by dates between 17 DEC 2022 up to and including 23 DEC 2022. Those products are Coles Kitchen Green Goddess Salad 250g, 300g; Coles Kitchen Chicken BLT Salad Bowl 240g; Coles Kitchen Roast Pumpkin, Fetta & Walnut Salad 265g; Coles Kitchen Smokey Mexican Salad 280g; and Coles Kitchen Egg and Spinach Pots 100g.

The recall was initiated amid another spinach recall. On Dec. 16, just a day before Coles Supermarkets' recall, Riviera Fresh Pty Ltd recalled Riviera Farms Baby Spinach products sold in 350-gram and 1-kiogram packages. The recall affected those products with By dates from 16 Dec 22 up to and including 28 Dec 22 that were available for purchase at Costco Wholesale in New South Wales, he Australian Capital Territory, and Victoria. The recall was due to potential contamination with unsafe plant material. However, in a Dec. 19 update, Food Standards Australia & New Zealand informed consumers that the baby spinach recall was concluded, as "all affected products, linked to the Riviera Farms baby spinach, have been identified and recalled."

According to the update, "it has been confirmed the recalled spinach products were sourced from one producer with the spinach all located in one field. The producer has been proactive and cooperative in addressing the issue...Investigations regarding the origin of this incident and exact nature of the contaminant are ongoing and being led by the relevant jurisdictional authority. Measures have however already been put in place to mitigate the risk in the future."

Despite the recall having concluded, the update noted that the products affected by the recall should not be consumed. These products should instead be discarded or returned for a refund. The same advice applies for the products included in the expansive Coles Supermarket recall.

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