Trader Joe's Recalls Soycutash For Possible Listeria Contamination

Another day, another food recall due to concerns over a possible listeria contamination. (That's how the saying goes, right?) According to information shared by the FDA, Trader Joe's has initiated a voluntary recall of its Soycutash, the grocery chain's frozen succotash-style blend of corn, edamame, and red bell peppers, due to concerns that it "may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes." 

The affected products, sold in 16-ounce packages, were shipped to Trader Joe's stores in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California. They have lot codes of SOM2.309.1C, SOM1.310.1C, and SOM1.315.1C, as well as use-by dates of November 5, November 6, and November 11 of 2023. If you have a package of Soycutash at home matching these descriptions, you should not consume the product and should discard it, per Food Safety News. Listeria infection can cause unpleasant symptoms and very serious illness in children, the elderly, the pregnant, and others with compromised immune systems.

If news about food recalls happens to be your thing, you might have heard about another recent listeria-related Dole recall from last month. While it may be unsettling to get word about yet another possible listeria contamination in a product from a major grocery store, these notices can be a good thing, Patch explains. Listeria recalls have been on the rise not because the food supply is becoming more dangerous, but because the technology to detect the bacteria has improved. This detection leads to alarm and inconvenient recalls, to be sure, but it also helps to prevent listeria outbreaks.

But why does listeria find its way into our food at all? According to the FDA, listeria is basically the bacterial equivalent of a cockroach, as the bacteria "can tolerate both acidic and salty conditions, both high and low temperatures, and a fairly low moisture content." These characteristics allow listeria to persist in foods prepared in all kinds of ways. One day, we can all hope that it becomes a thing of the past. For now, just double-check your Soycutash.