Enoki Mushroom Recall 2024: What You Need To Know
If you regularly purchase fresh mushrooms for use at home, you’ll want to get up to speed on the enoki mushroom recall before starting that stir fry. Enoki mushrooms are not one of the more recognizable varieties like cremini or portobello mushrooms, so you may not be familiar with them. However, if you are a fan of Asian cuisine and cook it at home, chances are you purchase enoki mushrooms on occasion, making it possible that the enoki recall has affected you.
No matter how careful you are when buying fresh produce, there is always a risk. Even if the produce you find in your grocery store is organic, it still travels through food processing plants and commercial transportation systems before reaching your grocery store shelf. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of room for contamination.
Having heard of the enoki mushrooms recall, you may have questions, like “When did the enoki mushroom recall start?” or “How do I know if my enoki mushrooms are safe?” To help ease your concerns, here‘s what you need to know about the enoki mushroom recall if you have enoki mushrooms in the crisper drawer right now.
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- What Enoki Mushroom Products Are Being Recalled?
- Why Are These Enoki Mushroom Products Being Recalled?
- What To Do if You Have a Product That Was Recalled
What Enoki Mushroom Products Are Being Recalled?
Enoki mushrooms are long, thin and white with tiny caps on the ends. They also go by the names enokitake, golden needle mushrooms, futu, seafood mushrooms or lily mushrooms. Because mushrooms are usually grown in moist dirt, they are more susceptible to bacterial growth than other produce items, as evidenced by this enoki mushrooms recall.
This particular enoki mushroom recall in 2023 relates to the Qilu Enterprises brand distributed by Utopia Foods Incorporated. The recall is active in multiple states, depending on where the product was distributed from wholesalers. It’s noted that the enoki mushrooms were sent to wholesalers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The enoki mushroom recall, issued in an FDA notice, specifically affects products packaged in 7.05-ounce (200g) plastic bags with the Unique Product Code (UPC): 928918-610109. The packaging is marked with expiration dates between 8/7/23 and 10/20/23.
Why Are These Enoki Mushroom Products Being Recalled?
This enoki mushroom recall is happening because the product has tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. This is not the first enoki mushroom recall this year. There were similar issues reported back in January and March when patients who became ill were linked to the product.
With the early 2023 enoki mushroom recall, there were also reports of patients who became ill who did not eat enoki mushrooms but who had eaten in Asian restaurants where the product was used. For this enoki mushroom recall, there are no reports of illnesses in patients at this time. The contamination was discovered during a routine inspection.
What Is Listeria Monocytogenes?
Listeria is a disease-causing bacteria that may be found in moist soil or water. It can also be present in decaying vegetation and animals. If you consume foods that are contaminated by listeria, you may develop an illness referred to as listeriosis.
Symptoms of listeriosis are usually mild and include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Signs of illness can start anywhere from a few hours after exposure to several days later. Most adults can recover without medical intervention.
Listeria infections are far more dangerous for the elderly and infants, with severe infections resulting in headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions or even death. Pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems should also be particularly vigilant if they feel they may have become infected.
What To Do if You Have a Product That Was Recalled
The good news about the enoki recall is that the manufacturer has stopped distribution. If you have purchased Gilu Enterprises enoki mushrooms with the packaging description, UPC and expiration dates listed above, you are urged to return them to the store where you purchased them for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-389-8898, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
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No one wants to wake up to the news that one of their favorite foods has been recalled. But it happens. The FDA takes many measures to ensure our food supply is safe, evidenced by the fact that this enoki mushroom recall was discovered before causing actual harm to consumers. If nothing else, food recalls remind us of the importance of washing fresh ingredients before using them to prepare meals and to always heed expiration dates on package labels.
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