This May 11, 2016, photo, shows the outside of CRF Frozen Foods, LLC, in Pasco, Wash. The company shut down its processing operations over a listeria breakout that has sickened customers in several states.... (Associated Press) 
 
 This May 11, 2016, photo, shows the outside of CRF Frozen Foods, LLC, in Pasco, Wash. The company shut down its processing operations over a listeria breakout that has sickened customers in several states. (Sarah Gordon/The Tri-City Herald via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT KONA (Associated Press) 
 
 This May 11, 2016, photo, shows the outside of CRF Frozen Foods, LLC, in Pasco, Wash. The company shut down its processing operations over a listeria breakout that has sickened customers in several states. (Sarah Gordon/The Tri-City Herald via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT KONA (Associated Press) This May 11, 2016, photo, shows the outside of CRF Frozen Foods, LLC, in Pasco, Wash. The company shut down its processing operations over a listeria breakout that has sickened customers in several states.... (Associated Press) 
 
 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Amid a massive frozen foods recall involving millions of packages of fruits and vegetables that were shipped to all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico, authorities who want to stem the listeria-linked illnesses and deaths worry it'll be difficult to get consumers to dig through their freezers and check for products they may have bought as far back as 2014. 
 
 It's one of the largest food recalls in recent memory, with well over 400 products from CRF Frozen Foods in Pasco, Washington, sold under more than 40 different brand names at major retailers like Costco, Target, Trader Joe's and Safeway. So far, eight people have been sickened by listeria that's genetically similar to that found in CRF vegetables, and two have died, though listeria was not the primary cause of death. 
 
 "Unquestionably, this is a lot of product. ... It reflects the severity of listeria as an illness, the long duration of illnesses and the outbreak and the long shelf life of the products," said Matthew Wise, who leads the outbreak response team at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
 
 The initial recall started April 22, covering 11 frozen vegetable products. On May 2, CRF expanded it to include all of its frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed at its Washington plant since May 1, 2014. Thanks to recently developed whole-genome sequencing of food-contaminating bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration and CDC found that the listeria bacteria found in the blood of a person sickened in 2013 is genetically similar to the listeria tied to the recall. 
 
 "The idea is that it's possible that it could be linked to this plant as far back as that because of the match. As a result the company, working with the FDA, decided to do the recall that far back," CRF spokesman Gene Grabowski said. 
 
 The CRF plant closed two weeks ago and Grabowski said the company is still trying to pinpoint the source of the contamination. 
 
 Wise said he wants consumers to check the online recall lists and discard the products from of their freezers. "Listeriosis always makes us worry because it's such a serious infection," he said. The CDC says listeria is most harmful to adults over 65 with weakened immune systems and pregnant women. 
 
 Products were both packaged for sale as individual products and repackaged by places like Piggly Wiggly, Kroger and ConAgra foods as ingredients in a host of other store-brand and private-label products for stores like Trader Joe's and Costco. 
 
 Also, retailers including Target and regional distributors such as Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee Foods have recently recalled products made by Tokyo-based Ajinomoto Windsor due to the company recalling 70 of its Asian variety products that contain CRF vegetables — about 47 million pounds worth — some of which were also sold in Canada and Mexico. 
 
 The FDA and CDC have developed a system to track the genetic makeup of salmonella, listeria and E.coli. Once a food-related illness outbreak is identified, scientists can match the DNA from contaminated food with the bacteria making people sick and potentially trace it to the originating food processing plant. 
 
 In this outbreak, of those eight who were sick, six were in California. The two people who died were from Maryland and Washington. 
 
 Authorities say it's unclear why there are not more illnesses from listeria. Wise said that the levels of listeria contamination might not be high or may be uneven in the packaged vegetables. Also, the vegetables in the recall are typically cooked before they're eaten, which would kill the bacteria. 
 
 The CDC continues to monitor state illness reports for any sign of additional cases, Wise said. 
 
 Listeria causes an estimated 1,600 cases of illness each year in the U.S., but just half are reported. About 18 percent of listeriosis patients die. 
 
 FDA spokeswoman Lauren Sucher said it's important to follow label directions for cooking frozen foods and to check freezers thoroughly for the products listed on the FDA website . 
 
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 Online: 
 
 Recall information: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/MajorProductRecalls/ucm500668.htm 
 
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 Follow David Pitt on Twitter at https://twitter.com/davepitt 

 Recalls of Frozen Vegetables, Frozen Fruit, and Other Products Related to Investigation of Listeria Illnesses 
 
 En Español 
 
 Since March 2016, CDC has been collaborating with the USDA, FDA, and public health officials in several states to investigate a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections. Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence available at this time indicates that frozen vegetables produced by CRF Frozen Foods are one likely source of illness in this outbreak. 
 
 On May 2, 2016, CRF Frozen Foods recalled all organic and traditional frozen vegetable and fruit products processed in its Pasco, Washington facility since May 1, 2014. Due to this recall, many other companies have recalled hundreds of other products sold under dozens of brand names. Continue to check this webpage for a complete list of recalled products associated with this investigation. 
 
 What to Know 
 
 Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects pregnant women and their newborns, adults older than 65, and people with immune systems weakened by cancer, cancer treatments, or other serious conditions (like diabetes, kidney failure, liver disease, and HIV). 
 
 A person with Listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the symptoms vary with the infected person: 
 
 Adults older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems : Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. 
 
 : Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other non-specific symptoms like chills and headache. However, infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. 
 
 Healthy people: Healthy people rarely develop invasive Listeriosis. However, people exposed to a very large dose of Listeria bacteria can develop a non-invasive illness (meaning the bacteria do not spread into their bloodstream or other sites) with diarrhea and fever. 
 
 We recommend that consumers not eat recalled products. 
 
 The recalled products were distributed nationwide and in Canada under many different brand names. 
 
 Follow these steps if recalled products are in your home: 
 
 Throw the recalled products away in a closed plastic bag placed in a sealed trashcan. This will prevent people and animals from eating it. 
 
 in a closed plastic bag placed in a sealed trashcan. This will prevent people and animals from eating it. Wash the refrigerator or freezer area and any other areas where the recalled products were stored with hot water and soap. 
 
 and any other areas where the recalled products were stored with hot water and soap. Wash your hands with warm water and soap after cleaning up. 
 
 What should you do if you ate recalled products? 
 
 If you have eaten recalled products and do not have any symptoms, most experts believe that tests or treatment are not needed, even for people at higher risk for Listeriosis. 
 
 People who develop symptoms of Listeriosis after eating possibly contaminated products should consider seeking medical care and telling a healthcare provider about eating that product. Although people can sometimes develop Listeriosis up to 2 months after eating contaminated food, symptoms usually start within several days. 
 
 Recent Recalls 
 
 CRF Frozen Foods Recalls Voluntary Recall to Include All Frozen Vegetable and Fruit Products Due to Possible Health Risk 
 
 June 2, 2016 
 
 To search recent recalls by product name, please check the individual listings for FDA Recalls and USDA Recalls.
– Authorities are warning people to check their freezers—for food bought as far back as 2014. It's one of the largest food recalls in recent memory, affecting well over 400 products from CRF Frozen Foods in Pasco, Wash., sold under more than 40 different brand names in all 50 states, Canada, and Mexico, per the AP. So far, eight people have been sickened by listeria that's genetically similar to that found in CRF vegetables, including six in California, and two have died in Maryland and Washington, though listeria was not the primary cause of death. The initial recall started April 22, covering 11 frozen vegetable products. On May 2, CRF expanded it to include all frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products out of its Washington plant since May 1, 2014. The CRF plant closed two weeks ago and the company is still trying to pinpoint the source of the contamination, a rep says. A CDC rep says consumers should check the online recall lists and discard the affected products from their freezers. Products were both packaged for sale as individual products and repackaged by places like Piggly Wiggly, Kroger, and ConAgra foods as ingredients in a host of other store-brand and private-label products for stores like Trader Joe's and Costco. Also, retailers including Target and regional distributors such as Hy-Vee Foods have recently recalled products made by Tokyo-based Ajinomoto Windsor due to the company recalling 70 of its Asian variety products that contain CRF vegetables—about 47 million pounds worth—some of which were also sold in Canada and Mexico.