Spinach Recall in Seven States as Listeria Warning Issued

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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A New York-headquartered indoor farming company has recalled spinach grown by a supplier in New Jersey over a potential risk of contamination.

BrightFarms has voluntarily recalled spinach grown by its supplier Element Farms at its Pompton Plains, New Jersey farm and distributed under the BrightFarms brand over the risk it might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogenic bacterium, the company said in a statement published on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) website on Wednesday.

BrightFarms, which has its main office in Irvington, New York, but has several regional greenhouse hubs across the country, specializes in the production of locally grown packaged salads.

Supermarket US
People shop in a supermarket in the Manhattan borough of New York City on January 14, 2024. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported the recall of spinach grown on a New Jersey farm over... CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Listeria, if ingested, can cause an infection called listeriosis, whose symptoms vary from fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea to headache, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. An infection can be fatal for the elderly, the very young and those with a compromised immune system, while pregnant women can experience miscarriage or stillbirth as a result of it.

The company is also recalling a limited quantity of four salad kit products from its Selinsgrove facility in Pennsylvania due to potential cross-contamination.

The recalled products, which come in 4-ounce clear plastic containers, were distributed to retailers in seven states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The four salad kits are: BrightFarms Mediterranean Crunch Kit with the Best-By dates of 1/15/2024, 1/20/2024; BrightFarms Chickpea Caesar Crunch Kit with the Best-By dates of 1/15/2024, 1/20/2024; BrightFarms Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit with the Best-By date of 1/15/2024; BrightFarms Southwest Chipotle with the Best-By date of 1/15/2024.

The spinach recalled is in 3.5-ounce packages with the name of "BrightFarms Baby Spinach" with the Best-By dates of 1/11/2024, 1/13/2024, 1/18/2024, 1/20/2024.

To date, no confirmed illnesses have been linked to the consumption of the recalled products, the company said.

BrightFarms decided on the voluntary recall after a routine sampling conducted by Element Farms found the presence of the dangerous bacteria in spinach, while no positive test results have been received on the four select salad kits to date.

Newsweek contacted BrightFarms for comment by email on Thursday.

The indoor farming company has temporarily suspended distribution of Element Farms grown spinach. Any retailers who might have the recalled products in their store have been instructed to remove them from their shelves, while customers who have bought the affected products are urged not to consume them and to discard them.

Consumers can also take a photo of the product or a receipt of their purchase to the place where they bought it and ask for a full refund. Any question can be directed to BrightFarms by calling 1-866-857-8745 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT or email info@brightfarms.com with the subject line: Recall.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more