The FDA has issued a warning to institutions that purchased frozen shakes not to serve them following a listeria outbreak that has resulted in 12 deaths. Lyons Magnus, a distributor of the shakes, announced it is halting purchases from a Prairie Farms facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where the products were manufactured. A detailed list of affected products, including names, item numbers, and best-by dates, has been released by Lyons Magnus. Sysco, another distributor, is also notifying potentially affected customers and suspending purchases from the same facility. “Sysco expresses our most sincere condolences with those affected by this outbreak and their families,” the company stated in a news release.
On Monday, the FDA revealed that samples collected from Prairie Farms’ Fort Wayne facility tested positive for listeria. Gene sequencing confirmed that the detected Listeria strain is closely related to the one causing the outbreak. Listeria, a bacteria particularly dangerous to older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, has been linked to this outbreak spanning 21 states since November. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified 38 cases, with 37 people hospitalized. This death toll surpasses last year’s listeria-tainted deli meats outbreak by Boar’s Head, which resulted in 10 deaths and 57 illnesses.
— news from The Washington Post