David Oppenheimer and Company I LLC are initiating a product recall for organic green kiwifruit due to the possible presence of listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall is active in 14 states, including Texas.
Listeria monocytogenes is a microorganism capable of inducing severe and occasionally life-threatening illnesses in young children, individuals with weakened immune systems, the elderly and those with delicate health conditions. While individuals in good health might experience temporary symptoms such as high fever, intense headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal discomfort and diarrhea, a listeria infection can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
According to the company, the recalled organic green kiwifruit is grown in New Zealand, exported to North America and repacked locally for sale in one-pound clear plastic packaging bearing the Zespri brand and UPC code 8 18849 02009 3, containing fruit stickered with the GTIN bar code 9400 9552.
The organic green kiwifruit subject to the voluntary recall was shipped between June 14, 2023 and July 7, 2023, and sold in clamshells at retail locations in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The Zespri organic green kiwifruit sold in other states is not subject to this recall.
The product recall was initiated following a standard sampling procedure conducted by the Kentucky Department for Public Health on July 7, 2023. Upon receiving notification on Aug. 3, David Oppenheimer and Company I LLC collaborated with Zespri to track the product's journey within the supply chain, leading them to two specific grower lots. Immediate action was taken to halt the distribution of organic green kiwifruit from the implicated grower lots. The investigation is ongoing, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Consumers who purchased any of these products are urged not to consume the product and to discard it immediately. Consumers with questions may contact David Oppenheimer and Company I, LLC at 1-866-698-2580, or send an email to [email protected].
