Frozen blueberries distributed in Canada recalled over possible listeria contamination: U.S. FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shared a recall notice over possible listeria contamination for frozen blueberries that were distributed in Canada and the U.S. (Photo by Veran Stanojevic)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted a recall notice for frozen blueberries that were distributed in Canada due to possible listeria contamination.

The berries were recalled by Oregon Potato Company, which runs Willamette Valley Fruit Company in Oregon. More than 2,500 kilograms of berries were recalled, which were distributed to Canada and several U.S. states, including Michigan, Oregon, Washington State and Wisconsin.

The recalled berries were not sold directly to consumers from retail stores, the FDA notice said.

The initial notice was issued on Feb. 12, but was reclassified as a “Class I” recall on Feb. 24. According to the FDA, a Class I recall means “there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

Listeria infections often require hospital care, which the Public Health Agency of Canada says “may lead to long-lasting health effects, brain infection, blood poisoning and can be fatal.”

Non-invasive symptoms usually appear within 24 hours of eating contaminated food, while invasive symptoms generally appear within two weeks.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency did not respond to an inquiry from CTVNews.ca in time for publication.