Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A listeria outbreak linked to frozen nutritional milkshakes is to blame for 12 deaths and dozens of hospitalizations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed Monday following an investigation that spanned seven years.
The FDA confirmed, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that 38 people across 21 states were sickened by the Lyons Magnus and Sysco Imperial products.
On Saturday, Lyons Magnus issued a voluntary recall of 4 oz. packs of Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes. The recall comes after Indiana manufacturer Prairie Farms issued its own recall.
"As soon as Lyons Magnus learned of the issue, it took immediate action to halt the purchase of all products from the affected Prairie Farms facility, notify customers and ensure that impacted products were removed from distribution nationally," the company said in a statement.
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The CDC began investigating the listeria outbreak in long-term care facilities in 2018, but said Monday it was unable to determine a cause until now. The same outbreak was investigated again in 2021 and 2023. After six new cases were reported in October, the investigation was reopened. The strain of bacteria was found in Prairie Farms samples this month.
Most of the people impacted by the listeria outbreak were living in long-term care facilities or were hospitalized before becoming sick.
The 17 shake products, which include ReadyCare and Imperial frozen shakes in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and banana with "best buy" dates, are listed on the FDA's recall website.
Anyone in possession of a recalled shake should toss it and all areas that may have come into contact with the product should be thoroughly cleaned.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause serious infections in children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include high fever, headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Listeria is the third leading cause of death for foodborne illness in the United States. It kills approximately 260 people a year.
The 12 people who died after contracting listeria linked to the shakes were from California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.
"Sysco expresses our most sincere condolences to those affected by this outbreak and their families," the company said.
"Food safety is and will continue to be our top priority, and our focus will always be on improving these programs that protect our customers and our communities from foodborne illnesses."
