Celery Sticks Recalled In 28 States Due To Possible Contamination. Here’s What You Should Know.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods has recalled over 1,500 cases of celery sticks distributed to Walmart stores across the country due to a possible contamination of the bacteria listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced Thursday.

The company has recalled its ready-to-eat four-pack of 1.6-ounce Marketside Celery Sticks that were distributed to Walmart stores in 28 states, as well as Washington, D.C. The product in question has a lot code ofP047650 and the followinguniversal product code or UPC: 6 81131 16151 0.

The FDA notes that while the recalled product is no longer sold in stores, its “Best If Used By” date of “03/23/2025” had passed prior to the recall announcement, so it’s possible that consumers may still have the product in their possession — including in their freezers.

The now-recalled item was distributed to select Walmart stores in the following states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The FDA said the recall was initiated after “the potential for contamination” was discovered after a positive test result was yielded during a random sampling conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The agency said that customers who purchased the affected item should not consume it, and should discard the product. No illnesses had been reported in connection to the recall at the time of the announcement. The agency also said that no other Marketside products, or other products of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, were included in the recall.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause listeriosis — a type of food poisoning. The Cleveland Clinic lists other types of foods that are considered more likely to be contaminated with Listeria: deli meats, pureed meats, unpasteurized fruit juices, raw sushi, sprouts and unpasteurized dairy products.

Read on to hear more information about listeriosis and symptoms to look out for:

Here are the symptoms commonly associated with listeriosis.  

The Mayo Clinic states that healthy people “rarely become ill” from listeria infection, and that “prompt antibiotic treatment can help curb the effects.” Common symptoms of listeriosis include:

Listeria infection can also cause more severe symptoms — such as stiff neck, confusion and seizures — if the bacteria spreads beyond your digestive system. And the infection can be serious for pregnant women, people over the age 65 and people with weak immune systems, the Mayo Clinic said, emphasizing that pregnant women and people with weak immune symptoms are at the highest risk for contracting the infection.

“If you’re pregnant, the infection can pass to the fetus during pregnancy or at birth (vertical transmission),” the Cleveland Clinic states. “This can cause pregnancy loss or serious, life-long health issues for your child.”

The Cleveland Clinic recommends that you see your health care provider if you’ve recently consumed something that’s been recalled due to listeria contamination — especially if you’re pregnant. As always, talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have about something you’ve eaten, or any possible symptoms you may be experiencing.

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