Nearly 100,000 Pounds of Salad Recalled Over E. coli Risk
A New Jersey company is issuing a class I recall for around 97,000 pounds of salad products because the lettuce may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
To be considered a class I recall, "there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."
The 38 products, which also contain meat, were produced from October 14, 2019 through October 16, 2019 at Missa Bay LLC, a prepared foods manufacturer.
The recalled products—which were shipped to distribution locations in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin—feature establishment number “EST. 18502B” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
A full list of affected products can be found here.
“As part of a foodborne illness outbreak investigation, the Maryland Department of Health collected an unopened package of Ready Pac Bistro Chicken Raised Without Antibiotics Caesar Salad with FSIS EST number 18502B on the label,” according to a release from the FSIS. “The state collected and tested individual ingredients in the salad and the lettuce tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. All products from the same lot of lettuce are included in the recall.”
Symptoms of this strain of E. coli are diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting.
Most people recover within a week, according to the FSIS, but some develop a more severe infection.
“Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC 0157:H7 infection,” the release states. “HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.”
If you fear you’ve been infected with E. coli 0157:H7, contact a doctor immediately.
Distribution centers, restaurants, and institutions who have purchased these products are urged not to serve them. The items should be thrown away or returned.
