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| The outbreak initially was linked to commercially produced caramel apples. |
SHAFTER, CALIF. — Bidart Bros. is recalling all Gala and Granny Smith apples still on the market and last shipped to retailers on Dec. 2. The company announced the recall after the Food and Drug Administration confirmed that two strains of Listeria monocytogenes associated with a food-borne illness outbreak were found at the company’s packing plant in Bakersfield, Calif.
“The results are devastating to the Bidart family,” said Leonard Bidart, president of Bidart Bros. “As a family-owned grower operating in California since the 1930s, we place safety at the forefront of everything we do. Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by the apple-related listeriosis outbreak.”
To date, 7 people have died due to the outbreak and 31 have been hospitalized. States where illnesses have been identified include Arizona, California, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
The outbreak initially was linked to commercially produced caramel apples, and the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to eat pre-packaged products until it could determine the source of the illnesses. Bidart Bros was linked as the source of the apples used to make the caramel apples.
