The brands involved in the recall are Specialty Farms Sprouts, Vermont Sprout House, Nature’s Promise and BroccoSprouts. They all have sell-by date codes March 31-April 27, 2007.

 

For a complete listing of the recalled sprout products, you can visit FDA Web site.

 

The recalled sprouts have been distributed in Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhose Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Main, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

 

The company urged anyone who has purchased the recalled products to return them for a refund.

 

Listeria monocytogenes can lead to listeriosis, which is an uncommon but potentially fatal disease, most dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly and infants. It is considered significantly more dangerous than Samonella.

 

The manifestations of listeriosis include septicemia, meningitis (or meningoencephalitis), encephalitis, and intrauterine or cervical infections in pregnant women, which may result in spontaneous abortion. Listeriosis symptoms also include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues. Listeriosis does not cause an illness in most healthy people.

 

The bacterium can be killed by pasteurization, cooking and thorough washing. Most Listeria monocytogenes are pathogenic to some degree and they resist the deleterious effects of freezing, drying.