Public Super Markets Inc. is voluntarily recalling two of its products due to a nationwide Listeria concern, Fortune reported. The affected items are Wheatberry Salad Publix Sweet and Salty Almond Bars.

Publix Delis sold the Wheatberry Salad in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The company said in a press release that it had not received reports of illnesses related to either the Almond Bars or the salad.

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Publix says its bakery distributor said items could have been contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Credit: TBO

Even though the products are no longer available on store shelves, the American supermarket chain issued the recall on May 5 so that customers who may have the items at home can return them to their local store for a full refund.

“We have issued a voluntary recall because of our commitment to food safety and to advise our customers who may still have this product at home,” Maria Brous, Publix media, and community relations director, said in a statement issued by the company.

Generalized Listeria concern

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed that products containing Listeria monocytogenes can lead to severe infection in kids, the elderly and other frail people with weakened immune systems. This can sometimes cause fatalities among the most affected group. Pregnant women who consume such products can experience miscarriages and stillbirths.

As for healthy individuals, they can suffer mild symptoms that might not endure for a long time such as nausea, stiffness, high fever, severe headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

The nationwide Listeria concern, related to sunflower seeds, has also led to other product recalls mostly made by ThreeHouse Foods Inc., the same firm that produced the Almond Bars, according to Fortune. There have been roughly 100 packaged snacks affected aside from the two Publix recalls.

Source: Fortune