TERRA CEIA, Fla. — A deadly outbreak of listeria has been linked to whole peaches, nectarines and plums.

The CDC is reporting that there are currently 3 people sick with listeria in the state of Florida.

What You Need To Know

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one person has died and 10 others have been hospitalized in several states due to a deadly listeria outbreak

  • Affected fruits were sold in two-pound bags branded ‘HMC Farms’ or ‘Signature Farms’ or as individual fruit with a sticker reading ‘USA-E-U’

  • The recall does not include peaches, plums and nectarines currently being sold in stores

  • For one Bay Area citrus farm, sanitization is an important step of the process before shipping out fruit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports one person has died and 10 others have been hospitalized across several states.

A California-based farm, HMC Farms, voluntarily recalled fruit sold between May and November.

Affected fruits were sold in two-pound bags branded ‘HMC Farms’ or ‘Signature Farms’ or as an individual fruit with a sticker reading ‘USA-E-U.’

The recall does not include peaches, plums and nectarines currently being sold in stores.

Symptoms of listeria include muscle aches, fever and tiredness and may begin within two weeks after consuming contaminated food.

Symptoms may come as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks.

The CDC says listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, 65 or older or have a weakened immune system.

Refrigerators and surfaces where the recalled fruit touched should be thoroughly cleaned.

Generally, most farms have a distinct sanitization process their fruit goes through before being shipped off. It’s a process that one bay area farm makes on a daily basis.

“This is a ponderosa lemon and they do get about this size and even bigger,” Sidney Tillet said.

For the last 50 years, Tillett and his family have owned and operated this small citrus farm, The Citrus Place.

“This grove, which has about 600 trees, is very small,” says Tillett.

A small operation, but a significant one. Tillett’s farm is now the oldest standing citrus packing house in Manatee County. But there’s been a few challenges along the way.

“There are lots of diseases that we have now that did not exist,” he said. “Growers are facing greening, which we’re struggling with and I’m hoping the new antibiotic treatments will allow us to continue growing citrus.”

Tillett says the fruit is inspected multiple times before it finally ends up at the front of the store—ready to be bought by customers. Whether that be by bottle or the bushel.