Kashi bars are the latest product to be recalled over a listeria concern. The California-based company has recalled a selection of their famous granola bars due to a possible outbreak of listeria in the sunflower seeds they use in some of their foods.
The company uses sunflower seeds from SunOpta, a distributor. SunOpta recently announced that their products are possibly infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Although no one has been reported ill thus far, Kashi has gone ahead with the recall to ensure that a food borne illness does not occur as a result of their granola bars.
It should be noted, however, that not all of Kashi’s products have been affected by the recall. Instead, it is only the Kashi Trail Mix Chewy Granola Bars and Bear Naked Soft Baked Granola, Cinnamon + Sunflower Butter.
The specific products under recall can be identified by the following label information:
Retail stores
- Kashi Trail Mix Chewy Granola Bars — 7.4 ounces; 6 count boxes; UPC number 18627 03000; best by dates of JAN0417; JAN0517; JAN0617; JAN0717; JAN0817; JAN09 17
- Bear Naked Soft Baked Granola, Cinnamon + Sunflower Butter — 11-ounce pouches; UPC number 84623 10163; best by dates of JAN 10 2017 and JAN 11 2017
Club stores
- Bear Naked Soft Baked Granola , Cinnamon + Sunflower Butter — 26-ounce pouches; UPC number 84623 10173; best by dates of DEC 24 2016; DEC 25 2016; JAN 11 2017; JAN 12 2017; JAN 13, 2017
The recall is part of a larger sunflower seed recall by SunOpta Inc. It has affected dozens of brand names in 25 states and parts of Canada. The latest brands to be recalled are certain flavors of Clif Bars, Quaker products, Hy-Vee, Food Club, Publix, and Kashi.
SunOpta president and CEO Rik Jacobs said:
“We expanded the recall because we cannot guarantee the quality of the affected products with absolute certainty, which is always our highest priority.
We are confident that through our work, in conjunction with external experts, we have identified and eliminated the root causes of the contamination and therefore resumed production of roasted sunflower kernel products at our facility in Crookston (Minnesota).”
Listeria causes short-term symptoms in otherwise healthy people that are similar to that of “food poisoning” or the stomach flu. These symptoms can include vomiting, headache, stiffness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, severe headaches and a high fever. However, this disease can be potentially fatal to those with a weakened immune system, older individuals and young children. Pregnant women should be particularly vigilant as listeria can be responsible for miscarriages and still births.
These snack bars are only sold in the continental United States. Those who have purchased the products are urged to discard them immediately and to contact Kashi to receive a full refund. Kashi has listed the products eligible for recall on their website.
Customers requesting further information can contact Kashi directly at 1-877-747-2467 between 6am and 3pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday. Some supermarkets and grocery stores may be giving refunds as well, so check with the store you purchased your recalled Kashi products from to see if they are participating.
Sources:
Fox 5
The Morning Call
Kashi