FDA Issues Class I Recall for 12,000 Pounds of Alma Pak Blueberries

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has elevated last month’s voluntary recall of 12,000 pounds of organic blueberries produced by Alma Pak International LLC to a Class I event, its highest risk category, after laboratory tests detected Listeria monocytogenes in finished product samples. The federal agency assigned the Class I designation on July 1; the recall was first initiated on June 9 following routine testing. The affected fruit—400 thirty-pound boxes identified by lot codes 13325 G1060 and 13325 G1096—was shipped to a single customer in North Carolina, according to the FDA enforcement report. No illnesses have been reported so far, but the classification signals “a reasonable probability” that consumption could lead to serious adverse health consequences or death. Listeria infection can cause fever, severe headache, muscle aches and, in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, potentially fatal complications. Consumers who purchased the specified lots are advised to discard the berries and seek medical attention if they experience flu-like symptoms within two months of consumption.