Sabra Dipping Co. recalled 30,000 cases of hummus Wednesday because of the bacteria, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and cramps. There have been no reported illnesses related to the contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
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| Listeria a risk for pregnant women, babies, elderly |
Although most people with listeriosis get better on their own, listeria can invade the bloodstream, brain or spinal cord in people whose immune systems are too weak to fight the bacteria, says Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Up to 20% of these "invasive" cases of listeriosis prove fatal, he says.
About 90% of people who get serious listeria infections are pregnant women, their newborns, people older than 64 or people with weakened immune systems, such as patients with cancer or HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Listeria can cause miscarriages and preterm labor, Glatter says. It also can lead to meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord, or encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, he says.
Officially, listeria sickens just 1,600 Americans a year, according to the CDC. It's likely that many more people become ill with diarrhea, cramps and nausea but never see a doctor, choosing instead to suffer at home and use over-the-counter medications, Glatter says.
Listeria is the third-leading cause of death from food poisoning, according to the CDC. A total of 48 million Americans suffer some kind of food poisoning each year. About 3,000 die from it.
In some ways, the hummus recall is a positive development, because the listeria contamination was detected before anyone became sick, says Bill Marler, a prominent food-safety attorney based in Seattle. He notes that the listeria was found by Michigan officials during a routine inspection at a Kroger supermarket.
"The recall does two things," Marler says. "It takes product off the market. It also helps companies pay a lot more attention in these manufacturing facilities. Once that bug gets into a cold, damp environment, it's really hard to get rid of. Hopefully, this will prompt more frequent cleaning and environmental testing within facilities."
Beef recalls were once common due to contamination with E. coli, Marler says. But those recalls prompted companies to make important changes. Today, beef recalls are less common.
Some foods pose a greater risk of listeria than others, according to the CDC. Foods that carry a higher risk of listeria contamination include raw sprouts, raw milk, soft cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs and smoked seafood.
On Tuesday, Blue Bell Creameries expanded a recall of ice cream produced in an Oklahoma facility as the number of people sickened with listeria after eating the ice cream grew to eight.
In January, Bidart Bros. of California recalled Granny Smith and Gala apples when 35 people were sickened with listeriosis after consuming prepackaged caramel apples, according to the CDC. Thirty-four people were hospitalized; seven died.
In one of the biggest listeria outbreaks, cantaloupes sold by Jensen Farms were linked to 147 cases and 33 deaths in 2011, according to the CDC.
As the ice cream recall shows, freezing foods doesn't necessarily kill listeria, Glatter says. The bacteria can survive in refrigerators unless the temperature is below 39 degrees.
