In addition to details about the U.S. states impacted by the E. coli outbreak, the CDC has provided a list of food brands that have been recalled, along with tips for prevention.
On November 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public about a new E.
coli outbreak in the U.S.
linked to organic carrots.
They shared information about the recalled products, the regions affected, illness statistics, symptoms to watch for, and measures to prevent infection.
The outbreak has been traced back to whole and baby organic carrots of various sizes distributed by Grimmway Farms.
Although the company initiated a recall of the affected products on November 16, the CDC cautions that some of these recalled bagged carrots may still be in consumers’ homes, despite being unavailable in local grocery stores.
Consumers are encouraged to inspect their refrigerators for any recalled brands of organic whole or baby carrots and to promptly discard or return them to the store.
Businesses are also warned against selling these items and are advised to clean and sanitize all surfaces and utensils that may have been in contact with the recalled carrots.
The product recall from Grimmway Farms includes a wide range of brands, including well-known names like 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, and Marketside, among others.
Other brands mentioned are Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, and Wholesome Pantry. The recalled baby organic carrots have best-if-used-by dates spanning from September 11 to November 12.
While the whole organic carrots do not have specific best-if-used-by dates printed on the bags, they were sold in stores between August 14 and October 23.
The brands of whole organic carrots affected by the E.
coli recall are the same as those for the baby carrots.
The outbreak has impacted 18 states across the U.S., resulting in 39 reported illnesses, 15 hospitalizations, and one death. The most recent reported case began displaying symptoms on October 28.
The states experiencing outbreaks include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
Interviews with 27 individuals who became ill showed that 26 (96%) had eaten carrots within the week prior to their symptoms, confirming the connection to the recalled products.
According to the CDC’s case count map, states like Minnesota, New York, and Washington are experiencing the most cases, while other states such as Wyoming, California, and Texas show a more dispersed occurrence.
The recalled organic carrots were found to be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19, a dangerous bacterial strain associated with severe and potentially life-threatening infections.
This strain poses a greater threat to young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
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