OVIEDO. Florida (MH) — The bad news: bagged celery sticks sold under Walmart’s Marketside brand has been recalled in 28 states and the District of Columbia after testing at the state level found listeria.
The good/bad news: The Marketside Celery Sticks should already be not just off the shelves at Walmart, but out of the refrigerators of any consumers.
Recalled 1.6-ounce bags of four celery sticks come from lot No. P047650 with a best by date of March 23, 2025. They were sold in Walmart stores in Florida, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.
Walmart’s Marketside Celery Sticks have been recalled by Duda Fresh Farms. (FDA)
Celery manufacturer Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ recall notice, posted to the FDA website, says Georgia’s Department of Agriculture found listeria during random sampling testing and “one of multiple samples yielded a positive test result.”
If you still have the celery in your refrigerator or freezer, return it to Walmart for a full refund. If you don’t think that time is worth the money, throw it in the trash deep enough that any pets can’t get to it. Direct questions about this recall to foodsafety@duda.com.
According to the CDC, listeria infects about 1,600 in the United States each year and kills about 260. Children under 5, adults over 65 and pregnant women are most vulnerable to the worst effects. Listeria can cause stillbirths and miscarriages. Usually, listeria causes stomach aches, headaches, diarrhea, vomiting and muscle stiffness.
Listeria can contaminate fresh vegetables through soil and water sources, as well water and from manure used as fertilizer.
Additionally, Listeria can be introduced into processing facilities and spread to produce through contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment.
L. monocytogenes is generally transmitted when food is harvested, processed, prepared, packed, transported, or stored in manufacturing or production environments contaminated with L. monocytogenes.
Environments can become contaminated by raw materials, water, soil, and incoming air.
By DAVID J. NEAL/Miami Herald
