After a deadly 2020 Listeria outbreak was linked to enoki mushrooms from Korea, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped up its testing and found that such a high percentage of enoki mushrooms imported from Korea them were contaminated with Listeria that it issued a countrywide import alert, essentially banning them.
Months after the ban took effect, another Listeria outbreak was linked to enoki mushrooms from another country, China. So, the FDA again stepped up testing and, after finding that a high percentage of enoki mushrooms imported from China were contaminated with Listeria, it expanded the countrywide import alert to include all enoki mushrooms from China.
Enoki mushrooms were the most recalled food of 2022. Between January 1, 2021, and January 31, 2023, enoki mushrooms were recalled 18 times. Eight were recalls for mushrooms from Korea before the ban went into effect in July 2022. Ten were for enoki mushrooms from China.
One of those 10 recalls was for one of the two brands linked to the ongoing outbreak. The second brand, Sun Hong Foods, which was linked to the outbreak through genetic testing has not recalled the mushrooms. Notably, Sun Hong Foods was one of three brands linked to the deadly 2o2o outbreak. (The company did issue a recall in 2020.)
It’s also notable that during the month of February, there were two more enoki mushroom recalls, one for Chinese mushrooms and one from Jan Fruits, another repeat offender, for enoki mushrooms imported from Taiwan.
Listeria is a bacteria found in nature and grows well in cool, damp environments. The substrate and humid environment required to grow mushrooms provide ideal conditions for bacterial growth. Stringent food safety measures and thorough testing are key elements of producing safe food products and reducing dire health outcomes.
The 2020 enoki mushroom Listeria outbreak sickened 36 people, hospitalizing 31. Four people died. Six of the patients were pregnant women, two of whom suffered miscarriages.
Experienced Listeria Lawyers
If you were sickened by contaminated enoki mushrooms and would like a free consultation about a Listeria lawsuit, please contact our Listeria lawyers. Our Food Safety Team has more experience handling Listeria lawsuits than any other law firm in the country securing some of the largest Listeria settlements in U.S. history including a recent award of $6.4 million for neurologic injury from a contaminated deli product.
You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no cost and no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.