Maybe that head of lettuce has been in the fridge too long and needs to be thrown out. On the other hand, packs of vegetables stored on ice in the freezer are made for long distances. They won’t hurt you, right? While it’s true that frozen, commercially packaged vegetables generally boast a long shelf life, things can (and often do) go wrong in the world of industrial food production. One such case was a horrific 2016 frozen vegetable recall that resulted in three deaths and nine hospitalizations in four states.
On April 23, 2016, CRF Frozen Foods recalled 47 million pounds of frozen vegetables and fruits due to possible listeria contamination. The recall initially affected 11 frozen produce products, then was expanded on May 2, 2014 to cover the entire portfolio of all organic and conventional frozen vegetable and fruit products processed at its Pasco, Washington facility since May 1, 2014, according to an official report by the CDC. Epidemiologists were able to compare samples of Listeria that made people sick with Listeria strains found in frozen vegetable products, finding that the bacteria were genetically identical. Quickly, 358 products under 42 different brand names were pulled from grocery retailers (including Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Target, Hy-Vee, Meijer, and more), but the terrible degree of harmful bacteria was distributed to a previously unknown public. Perhaps worse, the contaminated products were in circulation anonymously for nearly two years (since 2014) before the recall was issued.
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In 2016, 47 million pounds of listeria-contaminated refrigerated produce shook consumer confidence
Frozen vegetable aisle at grocery store – Lisa Marie Williams/Getty Images
While many people can recover from listeriosis at home without medical intervention or antibiotics, the effects can range from unpleasant to life-threatening. Common symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and indigestion, but complications such as inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, seizures and sepsis can make listeriosis a serious threat. However, intake of Listeria bacteria is often associated with foods such as cold deli meats, raw fish, unwashed fresh produce, and unpasteurized dairy products—not frozen vegetables. However, the outbreak in 2016 is believed to have lasted longer due to the long shelf life of frozen produce (meaning shoppers may have eaten the contaminated food immediately, or for months). The affected products were distributed in all 50 US states, Mexico and Canada.
We would like to report that times have changed dramatically since 2016, but recurring food safety issues continue and their impact on consumers has become more severe. According to a 2025 report by the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli-related food recalls increased by 41% from 2023 to 2024. During the same period, hospitalizations and deaths from consumption of recalled, contaminated food doubled. To recall 2016, when the CDC investigation closed in July, the organization said it was unable to conclusively determine (how reassuring) that CRF’s initially-suspected Pasco facility was also the source of the outbreak.
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Read the original article on the flavor table.
