4.Poison Apples

For Snow White, a single apple nearly proved deadly. Although her fateful apple was only a fairytale, for at least four people in the United States, apples proved to be the deadly stuff of nightmares. On January 6, 2015, a Californian apple grower recalled their Granny Smith and Gala apples after an outbreak of deadly Listeria monocytogenes—the same bacteria responsible for over 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths every year. Among the contaminated fruit, pre-packaged caramel apples were the deadly perpetrators linked to four deaths and over two dozen further illnesses.

The bacteria proved most serious for expectant mothers, infants, and others with compromised immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a quick warning when signs of the contamination began to surface. Oddly enough, the Listeria bacteria did not affect plain apples; people were warned to stay clear of all caramel apples with nuts, sprinkles, and other toppings. Although the contamination was eventually contained, the damage was done. What started out as a sweet treat, quickly turned into a national nightmare, affecting at least ten states.

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