Gala Apple Recall: Find The List Of States Affected By Granny Smith And Gala Caramel Apple Recall

If you’ve got caramel Gala or Granny Smith apples in your fridge, be warned that there’s a Gala apple recall in effect. According to the FDA, Granny Smith apples and Gala apples appear on their 2015 list of recalled foods and products, with Bidart Bros., out of Bakersfield, California, issuing the Gala apple recall, based on apples shipped from its Shafter, California, plant last year. As of this writing, the Gala and Granny Smith apple recall appears to be limited to caramel apples, but stay tuned to the FDA website for more information about the recall.

The FDA says that the Gala apple recall is due to tests that have confirmed finding two strains of Listeria monocytogenes at the Gala apple facility, which was uncovered by a federal investigation of 32 listeria illnesses in 11 states, including deaths from those who ingested the tainted Gala apples.

So how can consumers find out if the Gala apples in their fridges are part of the recall? It’s not so easy. They might be labeled “Big B” or “Granny’s Best” — but the FDA reports that the apples in the recall might not have any label at all. Unlike a product with specific universal numberings, the (non-caramel covered) Gala apples sold in major grocery stores only has a “4135 USA” number on it, but there’s no definitive list to discover if a Gala apple purchased in, say, Ohio originated from the tainted California plant, so the FDA recommends calling your grocer to ask if Bidart Bros. supplied these Gala apples to determine if they are part of the recall.

In terms of a Gala apple recall list of states, according to the Star-Tribune, health officials have pronounced 16 brands of caramel apples last shipped on December 2 as part of the shipment that have caused two deaths in Minnesota.

The FDA has also published more recently updated information about other brands in the Gala apple recall, with a list of states affected, so reference the FDA website for more states on the recall list.

“Happy Apple caramel apples are sold in single pack, three packs, four packs and eight packs and each package will have a best use by date on the front of the label. They were available for retail sale through grocery, discount and club stores, generally in the produce section and were distributed to retailers in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin.”

As reported by the Inquisitr, the family of Shirlee Frey filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Happy Apple Company in December 2014 after she ate a caramel apple bought from Safeway, fell ill, and died the same day.

[Image via Huffington Post]