Zespri Packaged Organic Kiwifruit Recalled Due to Risk of Listeria

The fruit was sold in 14 states

By Lisa L. Gill
Investigative Reporter

August 9, 2023

Zespri Organic Green Kiwi fruit in plastic clamshell — The recalled kiwifruit was sold in one-pound clamshell boxes.

One-pound packages of Zespri organic green kiwifruit have been recalled by distributor David Oppenheimer and Company (Oppy) because the fruit may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported. However, this bacteria can cause serious illness, especially in pregnant people, young children, older people, and those with weakened immune systems.

The kiwifruit, imported from New Zealand, comes in plastic clamshell boxes marked with UPC code 8 18849 02009 3. Individual fruits inside have a sticker with a bar code number 9400 9552.

The fruit was shipped to retailers in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin between June 14 and July 7, 2023.

The Risk of Listeria

Each year, an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis, the illness caused by listeria, and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although most people who get it don’t get seriously ill, symptoms can still be unpleasant and include fever and diarrhea. A more serious infection can cause muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Symptoms can occur between a week and four weeks after eating food contaminated with the bacteria.

Lisa L. Gill

Lisa L. Gill is an award-winning investigative reporter. She has been at Consumer Reports since 2008, covering health and food safety—heavy metals in the food supply and foodborne illness—plus healthcare and prescription drug costs, medical debt, and credit scores. Lisa also testified before Congress and the Food and Drug Administration about her work on drug costs and drug safety. She lives in a DIY tiny home, where she gardens during the day and stargazes the Milky Way at night.