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Don't touch that caramel apple: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is warning consumers about commercially produced caramel apples this season, and until further notice. The candy-coated apples commonly found at convenience and grocery stores in plastic packages have sickened 29 people; so far five people have died.
Consumers are warned not to purchase the apples. Candy shops and cafes that offer the apples are pulling them off shelves. Grocery stores have thrown out whole cases of the apples, and any caramel apples that have been purchased but not yet consumed should be tossed. Because of listeria's incubation period (30 to 60 days), it is often months before an outbreak becomes apparent. Many of the caramel apples sold around Halloween were found to be infected. Over two dozen people are now hospitalized in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The CDC notes that apples without candy or caramel coating are not suspected in this outbreak.
A day after the CDC issued the official warning, the family of one of the people who died after consuming an apple tainted with listeria has filed a wrongful death suit against the grocery store that sold the apple. The suit alleges that Safeway could have prevented the untimely and sudden death of 81-year-old Shirlee Jean Fray. Go watch the local news story:
