The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a health alert to several chains, including Walmart. In this case, the alert is an urgent recall of one of the most popular sandwiches in the country. This action is in response to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in the products.
Products affected by this bacteria
The FDA has announced through its official website that the affected sandwiches sold at Walmart and dozens of other supermarket chains correspond to a variety made by the company CIBUS Fresh. The contaminated products contain Glenview Farmas brand spreadable Brie cheese, in a ⅔ pound presentation.
What is alarming about this is that the sandwiches contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria were distributed in supermarkets across the country. Here is a detailed list of the states where these products are present:
- Kentucky
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Tennessee
In response to this FDA notice, Walmart has decided to begin withdrawing the company’s products from stores in these regions. This is to minimize health risks to consumers, as ingestion of this bacteria can cause serious and even fatal infections, especially in vulnerable groups such as:
- Young children.
- Older adults.
- People with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms of infection
It should be noted that this bacterium also affects healthy people. Despite not having any of the conditions mentioned above, infection in healthy adults may manifest itself with symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Severe headache
- Muscle stiffness
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
The FDA recommends that anyone who has consumed or suspects they have consumed these sandwiches sold at Walmart should seek immediate medical attention. This visit should occur before symptoms begin to avoid further complications.
Infected Sandwiches
The turkey sandwiches on the FDA list recalled by Walmart due to the presence of this bacteria have the following characteristics:
- CF Fall Turkey Sandwich – 9.65 oz presentation, code 79616, with an expiration date between November 2 and November 24.
- J&O Fall Turkey Sandwich: 9.65 oz. presentation, code 79615, with a sell-by date between November 2 and November 24.
- S&S Fall Turkey Sandwich: 9.65 oz. presentation, code 84408, expiration date Nov. 2-24.
Bad news for Walmart
In recent weeks, the famous supermarket chain has received a lot of bad news. In addition to the list of contaminated foods released by the FDA, a large number of Walmart stores across the country have been closed. Among the most affected locations are California and Georgia, where several stores will cease operations by the end of 2024 due to poor performance.
Recall that this is not the first time that Walmart has decided to close stores. In 2023, the supermarket chain closed 23 retail locations in 13 states, while 20 stores were closed in 2022. Despite this, the company doesn’t want to stop investing in the country, so it plans to open new stores and remodel many of them.
Specifically, Walmart plans to open or remodel 150 stores over the next five years. The idea is to create larger, more modern spaces that offer a wider variety of products. However, these stores will be opened in locations where they believe they will have a good profit margin compared to the locations they are closing.
