Starbucks just issued a recall notice on breakfast sandwiches that are served in some 250 store outlets. The recall was made last week for fears of Listeria contamination. The said bacteria is known to be fatal for both the elderly and children.
But although the food are being sold in Starbucks outlets, it was Progressive Gourmet of Wilmington, Massachusetts, that makes and supplies the pre-packed sandwiches to branches of the world renowned coffee shop. The items recalled by the food supplier include muffin sandwiches that have been made with sausage, egg, and cheddar cheese.
Moreover, the recall was implemented in just three American states - Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Sanja Gould, Starbucks' spokeswoman, said that Progressive Gourmet voluntarily ordered the return of the sandwiches after listeria bacteria were spotted in their facility during routine testing. The products have not been tested positive for any contamination but the food manufacturer's action was just out of concern for possible contaminant of listeria, ABC News has learned.
"As soon as Starbucks was informed of the potential issue, the impacted product was removed from the 250 stores that potentially received it," Gould said. The customers were also made aware that the recalled sandwiches bear the "Best Before Date" of Aug. 7, 2016.
On the other hand, Progressive Gourmet assured that they will get rid of the problem soon as they are working closely with US Food and Drug Administration. The Massachusetts Department of Health also launched an investigation to uncover where the harmful bacteria came from.
Nevertheless, on the announcement posted on US Food and Drug Administration website, the officials said that no illness have been reported in connection with the consumption of the sandwiches. But the US FDA stressed that listeria monocytogenes is particularly dangerous to kids and older people and being infected could lead to fatality. Pregnant women are also being cautioned because the bacteria can cause miscarriage and birth defects.
In any case, the cheese and fruit bistro boxes of Starbucks have also been recalled in Washington. The coffee shop's ingredient supplier asked for the boxes, with best before date of March 4, to be taken off from the store due to the almonds used.
Starbucks explained that the nut may contain cashews which were not declared. Thus, the company is pulling them out to prevent life-threatening reactions to people who are sensitive or allergic to cashews.
Watch the report on Starbucks' recall of some food items: