Hummus with pine nuts recalled over possible listeria contamination
(CNN)Three brands of hummus produced by House of Thaller are being recalled for potential listeria contamination. All three brands -- Fresh Foods Market, Lantana and Marketside -- have pine nuts on top and come in 10-ounce packages.
Knoxville, Tennessee-based House of Thaller is recalling the hummus products because ingredient supplier HVF Inc. informed the company that the roasted pine nuts may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
The products were distributed from April 18 to June 13 in the United States and on April 20 in Canada.
Consumers can check whether their product has been recalled by looking at the "USE BY" date and lot code, which starts with the letter W, on the top. The full list of expiration dates and codes is available on the US Food and Drug Administration's website.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause a serious infection called listeriosis if people eat food contaminated with the bacterium. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 1,600 people get listeriosis every year, and about 260 die from the infection. Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle aches, confusion and loss of balance.
Pregnant women, the elderly, young children and people with weakened immune systems are at a much higher risk of problems from listeriosis. Listeria has been known to cause miscarriages, stillbirths and premature delivery in pregnant women.
There have been no reports of consumers becoming ill from the hummus. However, anyone who has bought one of the recalled products should not eat it, and those with more questions can contact the House of Thaller Customer Service Center at 855-215-5142.
"No other brands or flavor varieties produced at our manufacturing plant are affected by this recall," House of Thaller said in the recall announcement.