The Hawaii Department of Health's Food and Drug Branch issued an alert Wednesday for MYY Trade Co. brand enoki mushrooms because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
These products were sold at Palama Supermarket stores in a 7.05-ounce (200g) clear and blue plastic package with UPC 8 809201 000039 and lot code 136 ①, printed next to the UPC.
The DOH Laboratory Preparedness and Response Branch and FDB discovered the potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination after conducting a routine food sampling and analysis, which is funded by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration federal grant. The FDB selects and collects certain food products to test for microbiological contaminants.
The FDB spoke directly with Palama Supermarket and product distributors to ensure the affected products are no longer available for sale.
As of Wednesday, no one has reported adverse effects from the mushrooms.
Listeria monocytogenes, if consumed through food, can cause listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection. The disease mostly affects people who are pregnant, newborns, older adults and others with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. Healthy people may suffer symptoms such as fever, severe headache, muscle aches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain or diarrhea. Symptoms usually show up within several days of consuming the contaminated-food, often with diarrhea, but symptoms may develop up to two months later. Antibiotics are used to treat listeriosis.
DOH urges anyone showing symptoms after consuming the product to contact their health care provider.
The FDB advises consumers to check for the product by specific lot number, seal the contaminated food in a resealable plastic bag if it is open and dispose of the product, and wash hands and sanitize any areas that may have come into contact with the mushrooms.
When preparing enoki mushrooms, the FDB recommends:
- Thoroughly cooking enoki before consuming them
- Do not consume raw enoki
- Do not add raw enoki to soup dishes just before serving, as they will not get hot enough to kill listeria
- Keep raw enoki separate from foods that won’t be cooked
- Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw enoki
