Acting out of “an abundance of caution,” global organic, non-GMO and specialty food products company SunOpta Inc. says it is expanding its recall of sunflower kernels because the products could potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The company first issued a recall for products originating from its Crookston, MN facility in April. The expanded recall now covers sunflower kernel products produced between May 31, 2015 and January 31.
Notice of the recall sparked other companies—which use SunOpta as a supplier—to pull more than 100 granola and snack products from shelves across the US and Canada including brands such as Quaker Oats, Planters, Clif Bar and TreeHouse Foods.
SunOpta halted production at its Crookston plant on April 21 after discovering a potential contamination issue. The company announced Wednesday it has since resumed production at the facility.
“We are confident that through our work, in conjunction with external experts, we have identified and eliminated the root causes of the contamination,” says Rik Jacobs, SunOpta’s president and CEO.