The Centre for Food Safety has warned the public that Gala Apples and Granny Smith Apples imported from the US under the Granny’s Best and Big B brands may have been contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.
Big B… for “Bacteria”?
Thankfully we’re way past Halloween season, because the contaminated fruit was also used in candied apples sold under the names of Happy Apple, Kroger, Kam’l Dapple, Bionic Apples and Double Dipped Apples.
The US authorities say apples may have been imported to Hong Kong, though the local government does not believe any contaminated caramel apples made their way here.
So make sure you wash your fruit (which we hope you were doing anyway)! The Listeria bacteria is easily killed through cooking but it can still grow at refrigerator temperatures.
Most people won’t get ill or may only develop mild symptoms, but an infection could still kill the elderly, newborns, those with weakened immune systems, and cause complications in pregnant women.
For more info, click here.
Photo: Janet Hudson via Flickr
