Urgent warning as supermarket broccoli recalled over ‘deadly’ listeria fears

Officials have issued a Class I recall – the most serious category – over fears that supermarket broccoli may be contaminated with a potentially ‘deadly’ bacteria.

The warning was initially issued at the end of December, but it has now been upgraded to a top-level recall used by the US' Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in a ‘situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death’.

The warning is in place because of the possibility that the broccoli florets are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that causes dangerous – and sometimes fatal - illness in people.

The broccoli may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (SimpleImages/Getty Images)

“Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the FDA said.

“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”

The specific product involved in the urgent recall are 12oz bags of Braga Fresh Marketside Broccoli Florets, sold at Walmart stores, bearing the UPC code 6 81131 32884 5 on the back of the bag and with Best if Used by Date Dec 10, 2024, and Lot Code: BFFG327A6 on the front of bag.

“This product is past its best if used by date and is no longer in stores, but consumers may have frozen the item for later use,” the FDA added.

“Consumers who have this product in their freezers should not consume and discard the product.”

The recalled broccoli product (Braga Fresh/FDA)

No illnesses in connection to the product have so far been reported.

A recall notice from Braga Fresh on 27 December stressed that the voluntary advisory did not apply to any other Marketsite or Braga Fresh produced products.

"Consumers who have this product in their possession should not consume and discard the product," it said.

In a statement, Walmart told Fox that the health and safety of its customers was 'always a top priority'.

"While the expiration date for the potentially impacted Marketside Broccoli Florets has past and the product is no longer in stores, we encourage customers who may still have this product in their homes, such as stored in freezers, to not consume and to discard the product," the spokesperson said.

"At this time, there have been no reported illnesses associated with this advisory, and we are working with the supplier to investigate."

LADbible Group has reached out to Braga Fresh for comment.