Advisory issued as celery sticks sold at Walmart, including in Alabama, pose listeria risk

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. issued a precautionary advisory on Thursday for a batch of ready-to-eat celery sticks over a possible listeria contamination, sold in several states including Alabama.

One of the multiple packages of four-pack Marketside Celery Sticks sold at a Georgia grocery store tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes foodborne illness, prompting the Florida-based corporation to issue a voluntary warning.

About 1,587 cases of the pre-packaged veggie sticks were distributed and sold in Walmart stores across 29 states, according to a news release from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Although the affected batch is past its expiration date and no longer in stores, consumers may have frozen the item for later use.

The advisory does not apply to any other Marketside or Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. produced products. No illnesses or injuries have been reported in connection with the voluntary advisory.

Celery advisory: Affected products, remedy

Consumers who have the four-pack of Marketside Celery Sticks in their possession, including their freezer, are encouraged to avoid consumption and immediately discard the product. All of the potentially impacted products are past their expiration dates and are no longer for sale.

The single production lot of washed and ready-to-eat celery sticks were distributed to select Walmart stores in Alabama, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Relevant product information can be found below:

• Product name: 4 in/1.6oz Marketside Celery Sticks
• Best if used by date: March 23, 2025
• UPC code: 6 81131 16151 0 
• Lot code: P047650