Kroger, Aldi Recall Certain Varieties of Apples Amid Listeria Concerns

Brianna Smith — December 21, 2017

Supermarket Apples; Image Courtesy of https://www.cincinnati.com

Were you planning on making an apple pie this holiday season? If so, then this recall is for you. Recently, two popular “supermarket chains launched recalls of some of the more popular varieties of apples due to Listeria contamination fears in some states.” The stores in question include Aldi and Kroger.

Were you planning on making an apple pie this holiday season? If so, then this recall is for you. Recently, two popular “supermarket chains launched recalls of some of the more popular varieties of apples due to Listeria contamination fears in some states.” The stores in question include Aldi and Kroger.

At Aldi, the recall includes “Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp apples sold starting Dec. 13 throughout Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and North Carolina and through the grocery delivery service Instacart in the Atlanta area.” According to the recall notice, “lunchbox-size Fuji and Galas sold between Dec. 12 and Tuesday” are included in the Kroger recall, as well as “Michigan-grown apples sold in 5-pound bags and sold in Kroger stores in various cities throughout Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.”

Aldi Logo; Image Courtesy of Logopedia, http://logos.wikia.com

This recall is especially important because it comes at a time where many people may be preparing dishes with apples. Not only that, but Listeria is nothing to scoff at. According to the FDA, Listeria monocytogenes can “cause serious or fatal infections in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems as well as miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.” The bacteria can also wreak havoc on healthy people, causing fevers, severe headaches, nausea, stiffness, and diarrhea.

But how was the issue discovered? Well, for starters, it was “discovered when Jack Brown Produce of Sparta, Mich., said it flagged a shipment from one of its suppliers, Nyblad Orchards after routine sampling found Listeria.” The company itself “sells or distributes the fruit under the brand name Apple Ridge.” Upon discovering the Listeria, the company ceased “distribution of any further products processed at Nyblad Orchards.”

Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported, and for now “both retailers are advising people who bought these apples to throw them away or return them for full refunds.”