Growers Express Recalls Green Giant, Trader Joe’s Products Over Listeria Concerns

Growers Express is recalling a number of its fresh vegetable products sold under the Trader Joe's, Green Giant Fresh and Signature Farms brands after one of their products tested positive for listeria.

The California-based produce company said in notice posted Monday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the recalled products originated from a Growers Express production facility in Biddeford, Maine, and were distributed to dozens of states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Florida and Illinois.

The recalled vegetable products include packaged varieties of butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini and a butternut squashed based veggie bowl sold under the three brands. For a full list of the recalled products, click here.

Customers who purchased any of the products listed in the recall or with an unreadable date code are urged not to consume them and to throw the products away. Growers Express said customers should refer to the toll-free number listed on each package with any questions or to request a refund.

Growers Express said state inspectors with the Massachusetts Department of Health notified the company of a single positive sample, prompting them to "immediately" stop production and sanitize the entire facility and equipment. It was not clear when state inspectors notified the company.

The company said no illnesses have been reported and the voluntary recall is "in an abundance of caution and in the interest of protecting its customers and end consumers."

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.