Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups recalled in 5 provinces over Listeria fears

Eat Smart Salad Shake Ups, single-serve salad bowls produced in California, are being recalled in five provinces due to Listeria contamination fears.

The recall impacts all Salad Shake Ups with a best before date of Dec. 29 sold in Alberta, B.C., Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and parts of the U.S., said the company that produces the salads, Apio Inc.

It comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) informed the company that two salad varieties with a best before date of Dec. 29 had tested positive for Listeria contamination. The company said it then expanded the recall voluntarily.

"As a precautionary measure, we are recalling all products produced on the same day, same production line, as the one sample that tested positive by CFIA," Apio Inc. said in a release on Wednesday. 

"At this time, we are not aware of any illnesses linked by health officials to this recall, and no other products are affected by this recall.

"The affected product is sold as a single-serve bowl with the lot code stamped on the side of the bowl and the UPC code printed on the bottom," Apio Inc. said of salads with the lot code 112 346.

What to do with product

People with the recalled products should throw them out or return them to the store where they were purchased.

The CFIA said food contaminated with Listeria may not look or smell spoiled, but can still make people ill and may cause death in serious cases.

If consumers suspect they are sick because of consuming the product, they should consult a doctor, the release said.

Listeria symptoms can include:

• Vomiting.
• Nausea.
• Persistent fever.
• Muscle aches.
• Severe headache.
• Neck stiffness.

The agency said pregnant women infected with the bacteria may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, but the infection could lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or stillbirth.