Green beans and butternut squash sold at Walmart is being recalled for listeria risk

If you’ve purchased bagged green beans or butternut squash recently, you might want to hold off on eating it. The food distribution company Southern Specialties shipped bags of possibly contaminated vegetables to nine southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Retailers such as Walmart are reporting that these products have been sold in certain select stores.

According to the Food & Drug Administration, Southern Specialties, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, issued a voluntary recall due to a supplier finding listeria on a table surface during a routine test on Monday.

Listeria is an organism that can cause infections that are most dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65 years of age and those with weakened immune systems. Common symptoms of listeria include fever, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. For pregnant women, the bacteria can cause stillbirths and miscarriages. About 1,600 people get this sickness every year, and an estimated 260 die.

The recalled products are Marketside bagged green beans (12-ounce and 32-ounce sizes) and butternut squash cubes (16 ounces). While most of the possibly contaminated bags were retrieved before they got delivered to retailers, some of the product could have been shipped on Feb. 17.

Check the FDA’s recall notice for the product codes and descriptions to see if you purchased a recalled product. If so, you should throw it out or return it for a refund.

Though there’s no vaccine against listeria, there are some foods you should be wary of, such as raw vegetables, cantaloupe, unpasteurized milk and processed foods like hot dogs and deli meats. To keep yourself protected, wash your hands and fresh produce well, and cook items like raw meat and egg dishes thoroughly.