The Centers for Disease Control issued a food safety warning after listeria outbreaks in 21 states, including Florida, were linked to Shake Supplement, which is frequently used in hospitals and nursing homes.
The agency reported 38 cases of infection as of Monday, with 37 people hospitalized and 12 deaths. Two of the infections occurred in Florida. Many of the infected people either lived in long-term care facilities or were being treated at hospitals, according to federal agencies.
Listeria can cause severe illness known as invasive listeriosis if bacteria spread beyond the stomach. People at high risk for infections include those who are pregnant, those over the age of 65, or those with weakened immune systems. Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or life-threatening infections in newborns.
An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration has linked the outbreak to a 4-ounce container from Lyons Readycare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplizen Shakes. The product is distributed to nursing homes, hospitals and other long-term care facilities and is not available for retail sales. Shaking often provides nutrition to patients with a soft, medically necessary diet.
On February 21st, manufacturer Lyons Magnus began a voluntary recall of two products. They said it is responding to a recall of the product of Prairie Farms Dairy, the manufacturer.
The Center for Disease and Control recommends that anyone who owns supplements destroy them or return them to their suppliers. At the top of the carton is the print lot code and the best date that can be matched to the recall list.
![Microscopic images of Listeria bacteria. 38 people have been infected with Listeria in an outbreak related to dairy shake supplements.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 357"/%3E "Microscopic images of Listeria bacteria. 38 people have been infected with Listeria in an outbreak related to dairy shake supplements.")
Surfaces or containers that may have come into contact with the shake must be cleaned.
Symptoms of Listeria include fever, muscle pain and fatigue, as well as headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and cramps.
The outbreak is the second outbreak to infect Florida residents. Ten people have died from Florida, including one, and 60 people were hospitalized in 2024, leading to reminiscence of boar head lunch meat. It was the largest listeria outbreak since 2011.
