What Do Retailers and Restaurants Need To Do?
Retailers and restaurants should work with their suppliers to ensure that they are not selling the Granny Smith and Gala apples being recalled by Bidart Bros., or caramel apples made using the recalled Bidart Bros. apples. This includes caramel apples containing nuts, sprinkles, chocolate, or other toppings.
Restaurants and retailers should also:
Wash and sanitize display cases and refrigerators where potentially contaminated products were stored.Wash and sanitize cutting boards, surfaces, and utensils used to cut, serve, or store potentially contaminated products.Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process. Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators who have processed and packaged any potentially contaminated products need to be concerned about cross contamination of cutting surfaces and utensils through contact with the potentially contaminated products.Regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of cutting boards and utensils used in processing may help to minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.
Listeria can grow at refrigeration temperatures. Listeria can also cross contaminate other food cut and served on the same cutting board or stored in the same area. Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators may wish to consider whether other foods available for sale could have been cross-contaminated from the potentially contaminated products, and should be discarded.