Nearly seven dozen carrot products have been recalled over fears of E.coli contamination, including those sold at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
On Saturday, Grimmway Farms – a major supplier of produce – announced the recall of its organic baby and whole carrots sold in the nation’s largest stores.
Other affected stores included Wegmans, Target and Walmart, whose carrots were on shelves between August 14 and November 12.
The carrots are no longer in stores, but officials fear the contaminated vegetables are still lurking in people’s fridges and freezers – and are urging people to throw them away immediately.
An investigation linked the carrots to an E.coli outbreak that has so far sickened 39 people, hospitalized 15 and killed one.
The illnesses have been recorded in 18 states, with Washington having the most cases – eight cases – followed by Minnesota and New York, which both had five.
However, the number of cases is expected to increase in the coming days as it can take up to ten days for symptoms of E. coli infection to appear.
This is just the latest major E.coli outbreak in the US, after 150,000 bottles of drinking water were recalled last week and McDonald’s had to recall Quarter Pounders in October due to the bacteria.
A chart shows some of the more than 70 recalled organic whole and baby carrots
In his memory notificationGrimmway Farms has revealed the full list of recalled products, including store and brand name bags and packages of organic and non-organic carrots ranging from 12 oz to 25 lb.
The baby and whole carrots were sold under the following major brand names: Whole Foods’ 365, Target’s Good and Gather, Walmart’s Marketside and Trader Joe’s and Wegmans own carrots.
Other brand names included: Bunny-Luv, Cal-Organix, Compliments, Full Circle, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts and Wholesome Pantry.
Some do not have an expiration date printed on the packaging, while others have an expiration date of September 11 to November 12.
That’s what the FDA said The organic whole carrots were available in stores from August 14 to October 23, and the organic baby carrots were available in stores from September 11 to November 12.
It was not clear how they became contaminated, but it can happen if food is treated with water that has been exposed to animal feces.
In announcing the recall, Grimmway Farms President Jeff Huckaby said, “We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously.
“The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvesting and processing practices.”
The map above shows the locations of people who have become ill after eating the carrots. It also shows that Washington state has suffered the largest outbreak
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He added: ‘Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.’
E. coli infects up to 95,000 people and kills 100 in the US each year.
It can survive the stomach acids and enter the intestines, where the toxins it releases damage the lining of the intestines and cause diarrhea and loose stools.
E.coli can also enter the bloodstream, where it destroys red blood cells, causing kidney damage and making it difficult for them to filter the blood.
Patients often become infected after eating food contaminated with the bacteria, and their illness can last for weeks.
Treatment includes antibiotics to kill the E.coli and bed rest to help the body fight the disease.
Just last month, there were 104 people sick in 14 states and one death from the E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s.
Researchers linked the outbreak to chopped onions used in the chain’s Quarter Pounders.
It is not clear how these became contaminated, but they too can pick up the bacteria if treated with water contaminated with animal feces. The onions can also spread the bacteria on machines, which then spread them to other onions.
More than 33 people have sued McDonald’s after becoming infected, requiring hospitalization and, in the case of a 15-year-old girl, kidney damage.