United States of America is well known for the apples Gala and Granny Smith, the import of which has been prohibited by some nations involving Malaysia afraid that they may be infected with listeriosis bacteria, are openly being sold in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam markets.
While other nations have taken heed of the issue, so far no advisory has been issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Many grocery stores, especially the big series, have separate stands selling these apples.
A single Granny Smith costs `50 and Gala `40 and the stores’ managements say that 60 per cent of the stock is sold. The bacteria ‘Listeria Monocytogenes’ cannot form inside the apple when processed or frozen.
But if it is destroyed or has a cut, there are more chances of the bacteria entering the fruit. Nevertheless, in India, no such instance has been reported yet. These bacteria can create simple infections like fever or vomiting or can become acute if they reach the bloodstream.