Celery contaminated with Listeria blamed for five deaths in Texas

Five deaths in Texas have been linked to celery contaminated with Listeria bacteria.

According to a UPI report, Texas health officials shut-down Sangar Produce & Processing Co. after it discovered people who ate chopped celery shipped from that facility contracted a fatal strain of Listeria poisoning.

Officials from Sangar Produce maintain their product is safe, but Texas officials closed the facility and recalled all products processed there since January.

The five deaths were reported from Bexar, Travis and Hidalgo counties in Texas. The celery is blamed for at least five more cases of Listeria poisoning.

Texas Dept. of State Health Services officials initially found Listeria growing on celery processed at Sangar, and then conducted a more extensive investigation to firmly identify the presence of the bacteria on celery.