FDA Issues Risk Warning as Apples Recalled in Four States
A recall of thousands of cases of fruits and vegetables has been issued due to potential contamination—the second-highest risk warning given by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
United Natural Foods, Inc., based in Rhode Island, announced the voluntary recall for the products on June 7 after they were possibly contaminated with fluid from a reach truck. The FDA subsequently issued a Class II risk classification for the recall on July 10.
Newsweek contacted United Natural Foods, Inc. for comment by email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
A Class II risk classification refers to a situation in which the “use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” according to the FDA.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) warns in a factsheet on its website: “Drinking certain types of hydraulic fluids can cause death in humans, and swallowing or inhaling certain types of hydraulic fluids has caused nerve damage in animals.”
It adds that contact with certain types of hydraulic fluids can irritate your skin and eyes.
What To Know
The products affected by the recall include:
Apples in Saxony, Germany, in 2019.
Daniel Sch’fer/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
- USA Apples Red Delicious Tote / USA Apple Red Delicious / Domestic Apple Gala Totes / USA Apples Gala / Wild Harvest Waxy Granny Smith / Wild Harvest Waxy Fuji / Wild Harvest Waxy Gala / Wild Harvest Waxy Pink Lady / Honeycrisp / Wild Harvest Honeycrisp Bag – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-00000-04201 / 00-00000-04016 / 00-00000-04133 / 00-00000-04135 / 07-11535-51849 / 07-11535-51852 / 07-11535-51850 / 07-11535-51853 / 00-00000-93283 / 07-11535-51249 – case codes: 4201 / 4016 3 / 4133 4/ 4135 5 / 51849 6 / 51852 7 / 51850 8 / 51853 9 / 93283 10 / 51249
- Carrot Crinkle / Rainbow Bunch Carrots / Green Top Carrots / Organic Jumbo Carrots / Carrots Bag / Wild Harvest Cello Carrots / Petite Carrot / Baby Peeled Carrot / Wild Harvest Baby Cut Carrot / Organic Rainbow Baby Carrot – 213 cases – UPC codes: 01-98306-02541 / 00-78783-90712 / 00-32601-00460 / 00-00000-94562 / 00-33383-90203 / 00-33383-90202 / 00-33383-90201 / 07-11535-51855 / 00-78783-90810 / 00-33383-90205 / 07-11535-50192 / 00-78783-90726 – case codes: 17209 2 / 90712 3 / 460 4 / 94562 5 / 90203 6 / 90202 7 / 90201 8 / 51855 9 / 1208 10 / 90205 11 / 50192 12 / 1286
- Florida Bicolor Sweetcorn / Eastern Bicolor Tray Pack – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-00000-04590 / 00-33383-70133 – case codes: 4590 2 / 70133
- Canada English Cucumber – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-33383-67101 – case code: 67101
- Wild Harvest Lemons – 213 cases – UPC codes: 07-11535-51621 / 07-11535-51613 – case codes: 51621 / 51615
- Wild Harvest Mandarins – 213 cases – UPC code: 07-11535-51432 – case code: 51432
- Curly Parsley / Italian Parsley / USA Italian Parsley – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-00000-04900 / 00-00000-04900 / 00-45255-11785 – case code: 4900 2 / 4900 3 / 11785
- USA Kale Bunch / USA Kale / USA Lacinato Kale – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-00000-04627 / 00-78783-90507 / 00-00000-94623 – case codes: 4627 2 / 90507 3 / 94623
- Organic Artichokes – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94762 – case code: 94762
- Mexico Asparagus – 213 cases – UPC code: 08-85206-00551 – case code: 551
- Broccoli Bunch / Wild Harvest Broccoli / Broccoli Crowns – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-00000-94060 / 07-11535-51687 / 07-40695-93082 – case codes: 94060 2 / 51687 3 / 6006
- Fresh Brussel Sprouts – UPC code: 00-00000-94550 – case code: 94550
- Wild Harvest Red Cabbage / USA/Mexico Red Cabbage / USA Organic Green Cabbage / Wild Harvest Green Cabbage – 213 cases – UPC codes: 07-11535-51689 / 00-78783-90501 / 00-00000-94069 / 07-11535-51688 – case codes: 51689 2 / 90501 3 / 51688
- USA Organic Bok Choy / USA/Mexico Baby Bok Choy – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-78783-90734 / 03-72500-69952 – case codes: 204 2 / 69951
- Wild Harvest Cauliflower – 213 cases – UPC code: 07-11535-51668 – case code: 51668
- Wild Harvest SLVD Celery / USA Naked Celery / Wild Harvest Celery Heart – 213 cases – UPC codes: 07-11535-51749 / 00-00000-94070 / 07-11535-51667 – case codes: 51749 / 94070 / 51667
- Bunch of Dill – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94891 – case code: 94891
- USA Bunch of Cilantro – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94889 – case code: 94889
- Collard Greens – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-33383-90415 – case code: 90415
- USA Green Chard – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94586 – case code: 94586
- Red Leaf / Romaine / Butter / Living Butter Lettuce – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-00000-94075 / 00-33383-90409 / 03-72500-69913 / 07-16582-11002 – case codes: 94075 2 / 90409 3 / 69912 4 / 1770
- USA / Mexico Spinach – 213 cases – UPC code: 03-72500-69839 – case code: 69838
- Organic Green Onions – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94068 – case code: 94068
- USA Leeks – 213 cases – UPC code: 07-40695-94629 – case code: 442
- USA Radish Bag – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-45255-90815 – case code: 23050
- Red Beets – 213 cases – UPC codes: 00-33383-90424 / 00-00000-94540 – case codes: 90424 2 / 94540
- Mexico Fennel – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94515 – case code: 94515
- Mighties Kiwi – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-14668-51000 – case code: 51000
- USA Mini Watermelons – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-93421 – case code: 93421
- South America Anjou Pears – 213 cases – UPC code: 00-00000-94416 – case code: 94416
The cases of fruit and vegetables were distributed to locations in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
What People Are Saying
The ATSDR says in its hydraulic fluid factsheet: “Drinking large amounts of some types of hydraulic fluids can cause pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, or death in humans. Weakness of the hands was seen in a worker who touched a lot of hydraulic fluids.
“Rabbits that inhaled very high levels of one type of hydraulic fluid had trouble breathing, congested lungs, and became drowsy. The nervous systems of animals that swallowed or inhaled other hydraulic fluids were affected immediately with tremors, diarrhea, sweating, breathing difficulty, and sometimes several weeks later with weakness of the limbs, or paralysis.”
What Happens Next
The recall is listed as ongoing, according to the FDA. Consumers who may have purchased the affected products should not consume them.
