The Food and Drug Administration said Saturday that they have linked a California apple plant to the listeria outbreak traced to pre-packaged caramel apples.
According to The Washington Post, Bidart Brothers of Bakersfield has recalled all of their Granny Smith and Gala apples shipped from its Shafter, Calif. packing plant.
These apples are still available for sale anywhere and the last shipment of Granny Smith apples from the facility went out Dec. 2.
The FDA said they collected tests for the listeria bacteria at Bidart Brothers facility and found strains of the bacteria that matched the strains from the people who fell ill during the outbreak.
More tests found listeria bacteria on Bidart Brothers whole apples from the company's distribution chain.
Reuters reported that 32 people fell ill from October through December and seven people died from the outbreak.
"As a family-owned grower operating in California since the 1930s, we place safety at the forefront on everything we do," said Leonard Bidart, Bidart Brothers president. "Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by the apple-related listeriosis outbreak."
Listeriosis primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, infants and people with a weakened immune system.
The infection shows symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headache, confusion and convulsions.
Listeria can live in food processing plants and survive cold temperatures such as those in refrigerators. However, cooking and pasteurization kills the bacteria.
