Vegetable recall as dire warning issued over Listeria contamination fears

Bags of soybean sprouts sold by the company Nam & Son have been recalled across the country after traces of an organism which can cause fatal infection in young children and elderly people was found in a random sample of the product, as reported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recall was ordered by the Maryland-headquartered company on Thursday and announced by the FDA on the same day. The federal agency reported that Nam & Son of Maryland was recalling one-pound bags of soybean sprouts with the sell-by date of December 14 because they could potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

This pathogenic bacteria, which was detected after a random sample was collected and analyzed by the state of Virginia, can cause short-term symptoms like high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea among healthy individuals. The disease linked to Listeria monocytogenes is called listeriosis.