Various well-known restaurant chains and food brands have recently announced recalls of multiple food items, some of which are fan favorites.
Just this past October, McDonald’s announced a recall of its Quarter Pounder burgers due to concerns of an E. coli outbreak. In December, MadeGood issued a recall on its granola bars due to the finding of a potential metal contaminant. Within the same month, Marketside, a Walmart brand, recalled its cut cucumber slices due to potential salmonella contamination.
Although the recent increase in recalls could mean that detection methods for foodborne illnesses are improving and stricter regulations are being implemented, it could also mean that the food supply chain is becoming more complex due to high consumer demands.
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However, this wouldn’t be Walmart’s last time issuing a recall for a product sold in 2024 since the retail giant has just issued a massive recall affecting 20 states.
A customer walks through an aisle at a Walmart store in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Everything there is to know about Walmart’s massive recall over a potential food contamination
Walmart (WMT) published a voluntary precautionary advisory after Braga Fresh recalled the broccoli florets sold at Walmart due to Listeria, a foodborne bacterial illness.
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According to the announcement on the U.S. Foof and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website, the recall has been issued specifically on all Braga Fresh 12oz Marketside Broccoli Florets sold at Walmart, with a best-if-used-by date of Dec. 10, 2024. The potentially contaminated bags can also be identified by the Lot code BFFG327A6 on the front of the bag and the UPC code 6 81131 32884 5 on the back of the bag.
The states of the select Walmart locations where the contaminated bags were distributed include Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Here’s how the food contamination was discovered
Texas Health & Human Services discovered the contamination after testing multiple samples from a Walmart location in Texas, one of which tested positive for Listeria.
Although no illnesses have been reported concerning the recalled product, it is no longer sold at Walmart locations since it has passed its best-if-used-by date. However, those in possession of the contaminated bags are advised to throw the product away to prevent any potential contamination.
Walmart customers react on social media to the concerning news about the broccoli recall
The public quickly took to social media to express their thoughts over the potential Listeria contamination in the broccoli florets sold at Walmart.
Some netizens expressed their concerns on the social media platform X over the discovery, with one user posting a meme reacting to Walmart’s announcement:
The broccoli I buy from Walmart is on recall for listeria. pic.twitter.com/ObLwVBFw86
— The Ugly Friend (@TwinOfTiger) January 2, 2025
A short video about the Walmart broccoli recall posted on TikTok by abc7chicago went viral, and multiple users expressed their thoughts on the matter in the comment section.
One user commented, “So quality control is just not a thing anymore?”
A user expressed anger over the matter by commenting, “We are very quickly approaching our tipping point here. Stop poisoning us.”
Another user commented: “This is getting out of hand.”
One user even said they would no longer shop at Walmart, commenting, “So the news I hear is do not shop at Walmart for food, got ya?”
Walmart responds to the broccoli recall and provides a list of the potentially affected stores
Walmart replied to The Street’s request for comment with the following statement:
“The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority. While the expiration date for the potentially impacted Marketside Broccoli Florets has past and the product is no longer in stores, we encourage customers who may still have this product in their homes, such as stored in freezers, to not consume and to discard the product. At this time, there have been no reported illnesses associated with this advisory, and we are working with the supplier to investigate.”
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Additionally, Walmart provided a list of specific stores impacted by the advisory, which can be viewed here.
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