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Christel Yardley/Stuff
Zespri organic kiwifruit have been recalled in the US.
New Zealand-grown organic Zespri kiwifruit have been recalled in 14 US states over fears of listeria.
Kentucky’s Department for Public Health found listeria during routine testing on July 7.
David Oppenheimer and Company I, an American produce grower and supplier, voluntarily recalled the kiwifruit, the Miami Herald reported.
In a notification on its website it said, since being notified on August 3, the company had worked with Zespri to trace the product through the supply chain to two grower lots, and immediately ceased the distribution of organic green kiwifruit from related lots.
Its investigation, in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration, was continuing.
The recalled organic green kiwifruit was grown in New Zealand, exported to North America and repacked locally for sale.
The affected kiwifruit were shipped to stores in Florida, New York, Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
No illnesses had been reported in America to date.
In an update to growers, Zespri chief operating officer Jason Te Brake said 500 trays were affected and were shipped to the US between June 14 and July 7.
”We are still awaiting the test results associated with the USFDA’s voluntary recall and working to identify the cause of the contamination,” he said.
When asked if the recall would affect New Zealand-sold kiwifruit, a Zespri spokesperson said the recall was in the US.
New Zealand Food Safety Deputy Director-General Vincent Arbuckle said it was talking to US authorities and Zespri about the recall.
”We are not aware of any cases locally or internationally of human illnesses associated with listeria from kiwifruit.
“Kiwifruit are acidic and listeria cannot grow in an acidic environment. As the number of listeria on kiwifruit will be very low, the probability of illness from the consumption of a contaminated fruit is extremely unlikely, even more so since the outside of kiwifruit is not usually eaten,” he said.
”There’s nothing at this point to indicate a wider issue, nor that it is a risk to consumers in New Zealand. Nevertheless, we will continue to work with Zespri.”
1 NEWS
Kiwifruit vines in the Bay of Plenty took a direct hit this week. (Video first published February 4, 2023)
Listeria is a food borne illness that can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include diarrhoea, fever, muscle pain, headache, occasional abdominal cramps and vomiting.
About 20 to 40 cases of the illness are reported in New Zealand each year.
In 2015, Bay Cuisine was fined $130,000, company director Garth Wise was fined $32,500 and production manager Christopher Mackie was fined $30,000 after they supplied listeria-contaminated meat to Hawke’s Bay Hospital, which killed two and infected others, and for intentionally deceiving regulators by omitting test results that revealed the contamination.
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