Quaker recalls quinoa bars due to Listeria worry

[May 17, 2016]  By Melissa Fares

(Reuters) - The Quaker Oats Company, a unit of PepsiCo Inc, on Monday announced a voluntary U.S. recall of a small quantity of its Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars due to the possible risk of Listeria contamination.

The company said there have been no reported illnesses to date but said it was issuing the recall "out of an abundance of caution."

Quaker is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate the issue, a company spokeswoman said.

According to the Chicago-based company, an ingredient supplier was found to have distributed sunflower kernels that may have been contaminated by the bacterium, which can be either harmless or pathogenic, and can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and those who have weakened immune systems.

Quaker, which manufactures hot cereals, pancake syrups, grain-based snacks and flavored rice products, said that while the vast majority of potentially affected Quaker products were withheld from reaching retail shelves, the products being recalled were distributed nationwide.

The recall covers only Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars Chocolate Nut Medley and Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars Yogurt, Fruit & Nut Medley.

(Reporting by Melissa Fares in New York; editing by Alan Crosby and Dan Grebler)

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