Apple Slices Recalled Due to Listeria

Crunch Pak® of Cashmere, Washington is voluntarily recalling 5,471 cases of Crunch Pak® Apple Slices due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported in association with this recall to date. No other Crunch Pak® products are affected by this recall. FDA is aware that the company is undertaking this voluntary action.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The company sold the recalled product to retail customers and because, in some cases, the recalled product was shipped to regional distribution centers, Crunch Pak is taking the extra precautionary measure of issuing this recall nationwide to assure that consumers who may have purchased the product are properly alerted.

The following products are subject to this nationwide recall

Product Description for Nov. 14, 2013 Voluntary Recall Totaling 5,471 cases	UPC Code *	Best if Used By Date*
Crunch Pak® Tart Apple Slices 14 ounce bag	732313141209	11/14/13
Crunch Pak® Tart Apple Slices 2 ounce bag with Low Fat Caramel Dip Multi pak of 5	732313091139	11/14/13
Crunch Pak® Tart Apple Slices 2 ounce bag Multi pak of 6	732313121034	11/14/13
Crunch Pak® Tart Apple Slices 3 pound bag	732313481206	11/14/13
Crunch Pak® Sweet Honeycrisp Apple Slices 12 ounce bag	732313120013	11/14/13
Crunch Pak® Blue Raspberry Flavorz Apple Slices 2 ounce bag Multi pak of 5 with Monsters University	732313089969	11/18/13
* In order to identify the recalled products, both the product description or UPC code AND the Best-if-Used-By-Date must be used. The UPC code and best by date are printed on the back of the packages. Because the UPC code is used for all items in these categories, the UPC code alone will not identify the recalled product.

Consumers who have recalled product in their possession should not consume it, should destroy or discard it, and retain the receipt of purchase. Consumers with questions may contact Crunch Pak at 1-509-888-7648, M-F, 8:00am – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

This voluntary recall was initiated after a single, random sample of 14 oz. package of Crunch Pak brand Tart Apple Slices, taken by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

Crunch Pak representatives are already contacting retail customers who received the product directly from the company and asking that they remove the recalled product from store shelves and inventories and that no product is available for consumer purchase.

“We are issuing this voluntary recall to reduce even the slightest risk to public health. There is nothing more important than the health and safety of those who enjoy our products,” said Tony Freytag of Crunch Pak. “We have always been committed to food safety, and we will continue to make food safety a core competency of our company. We realize that food safety is a constant effort, and we are using this opportunity to further evaluate our food safety systems.”