Listeria Recall Hits Celery at Major Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin Retailer

If you recently bought celery sticks from Walmart in Iowa, Illinois, or Wisconsin, you’ll want to double-check your fridge or freezer.

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Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of its Marketside Celery Sticks sold at Walmart due to a possible Listeria contamination. The product in question is the 4-pack of 4-inch, 1.6 oz celery sticks, labeled with UPC code 6 81131 16151 0 and Lot Code P047650. The package also shows a "Best if Used By" date of 03/23/2025. While this celery is technically past its shelf date and no longer in stores, there’s a chance some folks may have frozen it for later use.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause serious illness, especially for pregnant women, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems. In healthy individuals, symptoms may feel like a bad stomach bug. Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, and diarrhea, but it can be much more severe and even lead to death.

So far, no illnesses have been reported, but one positive test popped up during routine testing at a Georgia Walmart, which prompted the FDA alert. If you live in Iowa, Illinois, or Wisconsin and shop at Walmart, check your celery packaging. If it matches the details above, don't eat it. Toss it out, even if it has been frozen. The recall covers 1,587 cases of the packaged celery.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods stresses that no other Marketside or Duda products are affected by this recall. If you have questions or concerns, you can reach out directly to the company at foodsafety@duda.com. Stay safe and double-check those snacks. It's always better to be cautious when it comes to Listeria.