Food sold on Amtrak trains was recalled due to potential listeria contamination, but no illnesses have been reported

A Baltimore company has voluntarily recalled potentially contaminated pre-packaged food items sold on Amtrak trains, vending machines, and stores across several states including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, officials said

The more than 400 products, including sandwiches, salads, snacks, yogurt, and wraps, were available for sale from Jan. 24 to 30, said the company, Fresh Ideation Food Group LLC, in a news release shared on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website on Friday.

The company said the food items could be contaminated with listeria, but no illnesses have been reported.

Amtrak said the recalled food items were available for sale on Acela and Northeast Regional trains between Jan. 24 and Jan. 29.

Amtrak immediately stopped serving the products and removed them from all trains, the agency said in a statement. Anyone who purchased food items on a train during the specified timeframe should throw them out.

“All products currently served onboard are completely safe to consume,” Amtrak said.

The recall was prompted by a “routine environmental sampling” at a company facility that was conducted by Fresh Ideation, but testing on products ready for sale has been negative so far for listeria and the company is taking “active measure[s] to eliminate future possibility for contamination,” Amtrak said.

The company said the recalled products have a Fresh Creative Cuisine label and or an identifier on the bottom of the label with the Fresh Creative Cuisine name, and a fresh through or sell through date ranging from Jan. 31 through Feb. 6.

The products were available for sale in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

“This voluntary recall was initiated in an abundance of caution and represents the only recall in the company’s history,” Fresh Ideation said in an email.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a listeria infection — called listeriosis — is usually caused by eating contaminated food. The disease primarily affects pregnant people, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems

Signs of listeria infection in healthy individuals can include temporary fever, headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and or diarrhea, officials said.