General Mills Inc. says it has recalled a "limited quantity" of Cascadian Farm frozen green beans after a package of the product tested positive for listeria.

The Golden Valley-based packaged food giant is the latest of several U.S. food companies to issue listeria-related recalls this year.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the Cascadian Farm recall, General Mills said in a statement Wednesday. Listeria is a bacteria that causes listeriosis, a serious infection with symptoms including fever and gastrointestinal problems.

General Mills said the voluntary recall involves 10-ounce bags of Cascadian Farm Cut Green Beans with either of two "better if used by dates" stamped on the package: "10APR2016" and "11APR2016." The recalled products were distributed nationwide.

The company didn't specify the quantity of the recall in pounds or packages. Cascadian Farm is a major brand in the organic food market.

General Mills said the recall "is being issued as a precaution after one package of finished product tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes." The recalled product was produced and packaged over two days in March 2014.

The recall was issued after the Tennessee Department of Agriculture detected listeria in a package of Cascadian Farm green beans that was purchased from a retailer, according to General Mills. The company said it routinely checks for listeria at the plant level.

Listeriosis can be deadly, and strikes hard at pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths are caused annually by listeriosis in the U.S.

Last fall, four Minnesotans — two of whom died — were among at least 32 people nationwide who got listeriosis from eating caramel apples. The outbreak led to a large apple recall from a California packing company.

Earlier this year, Texas-based Blue Bell ice cream shut down production for several months after listeria in its products was traced to 10 serious illnesses, including three deaths in Kansas.

A routine test by Michigan food regulators in April found listeria in Sabra hummus — a brand that's half-owned by PepsiCo — sparking a recall of 30,000 cases. Also, California-based Amy's Kitchen recalled over 70,000 of its frozen meals after possibly receiving listeria-tainted spinach from a supplier. No illnesses were reported with either of those recalls.

Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003