The health Officials in Texas have ordered a company shut after cases of listeriosis in the state was traced to the cut celery dispatched from SanGar Produce & Processing Co. A total recall of all its products from January has been issued.
10 cases of listeriosis have been detected in the nearby counties in the recent months. Listeriosis is a bacterial infection which causes symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and vomiting. It can prove to be quite dangerous in seniors, pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems. The health officials had originally asked the company to close voluntarily, but it refused. Therefore, the officials had to close it down themselves and order the recall.
On inspection, the health officials found unsanitary food production area which included a condensation leak, dirt on the preparation area and unhygienic handling of the food produce by the workers. The Food and Drug Administration will determine whether the recall should be expanded. They are now trying to determine whether the chopped celery could have been used in other products. So far, the cut produce seems to have been sold mainly to restaurants, hospitals and schools. Other products like pineapple, honeydew and lettuce which were cut on the same line at the plant were also recalled.
Kenneth Sanquist Jr., the company's president, accuses the state of using unsanitary methods of collecting samples from the plant. He claims non refrigerated containers were used for transport of the collected samples and that there was a 30 hour time lag between the collection of the sample and the test. He insists that the independent lab study done on the same product did not show presence of any bacteria. Sanquist plans on fighting the state findings.
Sanquist now needs the state health agency’s approval before he can reopen his company