Lancaster Foods Recall Garbage Bagged Spinach

In yet another tale of woe for our dinner tables, Lancaster foods announced a recall on bagged spinach distributed in the east and northeastern United States. The announcement on Friday June 25 recalled bagged spinach distributed under the names Krisp-Pak Ready to Eat Hydro-cooled Fresh Spinach, Krisp-Pak, Lancaster Fresh, Giant and America's Choice. Apparently, due to poor sanitation at the plant, bagging and labeling, or perhaps at the farm, bagged spinach contained a fatal bacterium Listeria Monocytogens.

This recall includes the brand names listed above with best enjoyed by dates of June 19 through June 27 of 2010. In the spirit of deep humiliation Lancaster Foods begs consumers to throw out the spinach, save the package and call them for a refund.

The recall originally started in North Carolina, and has been expanded to Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania over this past weekend. Why Lancaster foods didn’t detect the contamination BEFORE distribution is unknown.

Listeria is especially deadly to those with compromised immune systems and can cause illness and even death in up to 25 percent of those infected. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with suppressed immune systems are especially vulnerable. It is particularly dangerous to pregnant women as it can penetrate the fetus by penetrating the endothelial layer of the placenta.

Listeria contaminates vegetables through contaminated soil but also can be found in animals, particularly ruminants. Other foods commonly contaminated include uncooked meats, uncooked vegetables, unpasteurized milk, and processed foods such as deli meats. Pasteurization and cooking kills Listeria, but contamination can occur between cooking and packaging. All food processing plants must follow strict food processing procedures to prevent contamination.