FDA Issues Warning for Pre-Packaged Celery Sticks Due to Listeria Risk

The advisory applies to 1,587 cases of the pre-packaged veggie sticks, which were distributed and sold in Walmart stores in 29 states

ByWim De Gent

Published: 4/12/2025, 3:35:48 AM EDT

FDA Issues Warning for Pre-Packaged Celery Sticks Due to Listeria Risk — Ready-to-eat 4-packs of 1.6oz “Marketside Celery Sticks” that are under recall. (FDA)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a precautionary warning regarding recalled celery sticks that were sold in 29 states due to a risk of food-borne illness.

The Thursday warning pertains to a single production batch of washed and ready-to-eat 4-packs of 1.6oz “Marketside Celery Sticks.”

The product has a best if used by date of March 23, 2025, so it should no longer be available in stores. The FDA advisory is mainly to alert consumers who have the product stored in their freezers.

The potentially contaminated batch can be identified by the following: UPC code: 6 81131 16151 0 (on back of bag) Best if Used by Date: 03/23/2025 Lot Code: P047650 on front of bag.

The advisory applies to 1,587 cases of the pre-packaged veggie sticks, which were distributed and sold in Walmart stores in the following states: Alabama, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming.

“Consumers who have this product in their possession, including in their freezer, should not consume and discard the product,” the FDA said.

The advisory was initiated by manufacturer Duda Farm Fresh Foods on Thursday, after the Georgia Department of Agriculture found during a routine test that one of multiple samples at a Georgia store was contaminated with listeria.

To date, no illnesses have been reported in connection with this product.

The advisory does not apply to any other Marketside or Duda Farm Fresh Foods products, the FDA said.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women should be cautious of listeria infections, as there is a 25 percent chance of a miscarriage or infant death shortly after birth, even if they themselves experience only a mild infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Listeriosis symptoms usually begin within 24 hours of eating contaminated food, last one to three days, and are easily treated with antibiotics. Healthy individuals usually only experience short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

When the infection spreads beyond the gut, serious invasive illnesses may develop. Symptoms include fever, fly-like muscle aches, confusion, and even seizures. These symptoms usually begin within two weeks after eating contaminated food.

According to the CDC, those with a weakened immune system—people with cancer, AIDS, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, etc.— almost always have to be hospitalized when they are infected. They make up three-quarters of Listeria infection cases. One in six people in this group dies from Listeria infection.

People in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should immediately seek medical care.

Consumers with additional questions about the celery packs can contact Duda Farm Fresh Foods by mail at [email protected].