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Edamame Recalled Over Listeria Fears

  • March 21, 2017

An edamame product has been recalled after random testing showed potential contamination with listeria in it, according to CNN Health. Edamame is an immature soybean eaten in the pod. Listeria can cause extreme illness, with symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. In some instances listeriosis can even cause death or miscarriage in pregnant women.

Whether or not soy is healthy for you is a hotly debated issue, particularly because of conflicting studies that prove — or disprove — the benefits of eating soy products. Thanks to the efforts of the Soyfoods Association of North America and successful marketing tactics, sales of unfermented soy products grew from $300 million to nearly $4 billion between 1992 and 2006.

Because of all the hype, the majority of Americans eat some soy food product at least once a month, whether it’s fresh or in packaged forms of processed foods. The problem with this is that 94 percent of all soy grown in the U.S. is genetically engineered (GE), which virtually guarantees you're consuming GE soy when purchasing soy products and processed foods containing soy derivatives. And, since GE soybeans are grown with glyphosate used as an herbicide, this means that you’re exposed to this hormone-disrupting chemical every time you consume a non-organic soy product.

The first thing you need to know is that only soy foods with health benefits are USDA certified 100 percent organic, such as traditionally fermented soy products like tempeh, miso and natto. However, there are plenty of healthy vegetarian alternatives to soy products, such as koji, an Aspergillus culture added to cooked rice, potatoes or roasted, cracked wheat — or organically-raised soybeans if you want soy in your diet.