Fresh Express Salad Kits recall: Reason, products, UPC codes, and all you need to know

Fresh Express Incorporated has issued a nationwide recall for a limited quantity of three varieties of salad kit products over concerns of potential Listeria Monocytogene contamination. The already-expired branded products are being recalled out of an abundance of caution. Consumption of the affected products poses a threat of severe to fatal infections and other health risks.

Announced on April 7, 2023, the voluntary recall is being initiated after the company learned that a random sample test of a single salad kit collected by the Georgia Department of Agriculture tested positive for the pathogens. The tested sample carried a Use-By Date of March 31, 2023, hence the company decided to recall its products.

Recalled packs of already-expired Fresh Express Salad Kits (Image via FDA)

The recalled salad kits are no longer available for sale anywhere, and neither the company nor the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of illnesses or fatalities with regard to the consumption of the affected products. For the unversed, consumption of Listeria-contaminated products is known to cause serious and sometimes fatal Listeria infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

The infection can severely affect people with underlying medical conditions or those who have received treatments like organ transplants. Healthy individuals, on the other hand, may only experience short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. However, a Listeria infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Patients who experience any of the aforementioned symptoms are advised to visit a medical care center or consult a doctor at the earliest possible date.

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Fresh Express' recalled salad kits were available at retailers in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and more

The recall affects a limited quantity of three varieties of private-label salad kit products that were produced at the Morrow, Georgia facility of Fresh Express Incorporated. Being recalled out of caution against potential Listeria Monocytogene contamination, the salad kits in question were available all across the country.

Packed in labeled bags, the recalled salad kits were available at retailers in the states of Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Customers can recognize the affected products by looking for the Product Code G075 and Use-By Dates of March 31 or April 2, 2023. Both these details are printed on the front of the Fresh Express Salad Kits package.

The recalled packets of all three varieties of Fresh Express Salad Kits carry a Product Code GO75 (Image via FDA)

Customers can find a listing of the affected products with all the necessary details in the following table:

Brand	Product	Ounce	UPC Code	Product Code	Use-By Date	Distribution States
Fresh Express	Caesar Chopped Kit	9.40	00071279309194	G075	4/2/2023	FL, GA, NC, SC
Fresh Express	Chopped Kit Chipotle Cheddar	11.3	00071279306049	G075	4/2/2023	FL, GA, NC, SC, VA
Publix	Makoto Honey Ginger Salad Kit	8.75	00071279309194	G075	3/31/2023	Fl, GA, NC

Consumers who may have bought the recalled salad kits and still have them in their refrigerator are strictly advised not to consume them. The affected product must be disposed of safely in a closed bin. The company is also urging retailers to remove any and/or all stocks of the recalled products from their inventories.

Customers with doubts or queries about the recall, and those who may want to learn about the refund process, can get in touch with the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center between 8 am and 7 pm, Eastern Time at (800) 242-5472.