US federal officials have found a link between strains of Listeria bacteria found in a California apple processing plant and the ones responsible for an outbreak that took lives of seven people and left several people sick in 2014.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the two strains of Listeria monocytogenes were confirmed in the Bidart Bros. apple processing plant located close to Bakersfield, California, Reuters reported.
In a statement, the FDA noted: "Those same strains were also found in Bidart Bros. apples collected from a retailer."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several people infected by listeria bacteria fell ill after consuming packaged, caramel-coated apples.
From October through December, this outbreak left 32 people sick and killed seven in 11 states, CDC claimed.
This week, Bidart Bros issued a voluntary recall of all shipments of Granny Smith and Gala apples, which are currently available in the marketplace.
In a statement, Bidart Bros. president Leonard Bidart noted: "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."
