From contaminated enoki mushrooms to recalled yogurt bars, Listeria has already been at the center of several major foodborne illness outbreaks in 2023.
Three people died and three others were hospitalized from Listeria infections traced back to a Frugals restaurant in Tacoma, Wash.
According to a news release from the Washington State Department of Health, investigators found Listeria in the Tacoma restaurant's ice cream machines, which weren't properly cleaned.
The strain of Listeria found in Frugals' contaminated milkshakes was the same one that gravely affected the six customers.
The eatery stopped using the ice cream machines on Aug. 8, but people can get sick for up to 70 days after consuming something contaminated with Listeria.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), consuming foods contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium can cause a serious infection known as listeriosis.
The Washington State Department of Health said that the six people who were hospitalized or died after consuming milkshakes from Frugals all had conditions that made their immune systems less able to fight disease.
The news of these Listeria-linked illnesses came less than a week after the CDC warned consumers about another outbreak linked to "Soft Serve On The Go" ice cream cups.