deadly listeria outbreak, California apple plant, FDA

FDA officials have announced that a deadly listeria outbreak in the USA that sickened 32 people and killed 7 individuals has been traced to the Bidart Bros. apple processing plant which is located near the city of Bakersfield, California. Most of the people who became sick ate caramel coated apples from a package, and the listeria outbreak continued from October until December. The listeria strains found inside the processing plant are suspected to be the same strains that made many ill and killed several. The FDA released a statement which read “Those same strains were also found in Bidart Bros. apples collected from a retailer.” Listeria is a serious infection and the bacteria can be deadly to young children, the elderly, pregnant women and unborn children, and those who have a weakened immune system for any reason.

After the FDA release regarding the California apple plant and the deadly listeria outbreak company president Leonard Bidart released a statement that said “As a family-owned grower operating in California since the 1930s, we place safety at the forefront of everything we do. Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by the apple-related listeriosis outbreak.” In December the CDC issued a warning to consumers to avoid eating any packaged caramel apples, even those with additional toppings like nuts or sprinkles, until the cause of the deadly listeria outbreak could be identified and isolated. The saying an apple a day will keep the doctor away was not true in this situation, and the outbreak affected apple sales during one of the strongest times of the year.