The product was supplied to Starbucks by Wilmington-based food manufacturer Progressive Gourmet Inc. It is not believed that any of the other sandwiches supplied to Starbucks by Progressive Gourmet have been spoiled.
What is Listeria?
Listeria is an infectious bacteria that can cause sometimes fatal infections in young or elderly people, as well as those with a weak immune systems. It can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, lose of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhoea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In some extreme instances, it can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
The product itself has not tested positive for listeria; Progressive Gourmet detected the pathogenic bacteria on a food contact surface at its production facility and duly notified Starbucks.
A corporate statement published by Starbucks this week said: “The scope of this issue is limited to these select stores and the specific lot and does not impact other breakfast sandwiches. This recall was issued out of an abundance of caution.”After Starbucks was notified of the listeria contamination, it removed the sausage, egg and cheese breakfast muffin from the affected stores.
The recall of the sandwich linked to a listeria contamination is the second in three months for Starbucks. Over the Christmas period in 2015, the company rushed to remove an sandwich linked to an E.coli outbreak which had been shipped to over 1,000 stores across California, Nevada and Oregon. The sub caused the illness of around 20 people and the contamination was identified as deriving from Taylors Farm.