More than 75000 pounds of salad products recalled over E.coli contamination

Approximately 75,233 pounds of salad products that contain meat or poultry have been recalled because the lettuce ingredient may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Thursday.

Missa Bay, LLC, a Swedesboro, New Jersey company has recalled salad products items were produced from October 14, 2019 through October 16, 2019.

The products subject to the recall can be found on the spreadsheet, the USDA said.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18502B” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

WHERE WERE THE PRODUCTS SHIPPED TO 

These packaged salad items 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.

According to Centers for disease control and prevention a total of 17 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 8 states.

The states where people reported infections include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Washington and Wisconsin, an ABC channel report said.

The salad products were sold in several stores, according to a USA Today report.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED?

“A total of 7 hospitalizations have been reported, and no deaths. State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started,” CDCP said in an investigation notice.

The Maryland Department of Healthexternal icon identified E. coli O157 in an unopened package of Ready Pac Foods Bistro^® Chicken Caesar Salad collected from a sick person’s home in Maryland.

Further laboratory testing is currently underway for this sample to determine if it is closely related genetically to the E. coli found in people in this outbreak.

Ill people in Maryland reported eating Ready Pac Foods Bistro^® Chicken Caesar Salad.

In initial interviews, ill people in other states have not reported eating this particular salad.

An image of E Coli,  Credit: Eric Erbe, digital colorization by Christopher Pooley, both of USDA, ARS, EMU. [Public domain]

SYMPTOMS OF SICKNESS

Most people infected with STEC O157:H7 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting, the USDA said in a news release.

Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O157:H7 infection. 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.

“FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators even though they are past their use by dates. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

WHERE CAN CONSUMERS FIND INFORMATION?

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Mary Toscano, Consumer Affairs Manager for Bonduelle at 1-800-800-7822. Members of the media with questions regarding the recall can contact the Bonduelle Newsroom at (626) 678-2222 or bfa-newsroom@bonduelle.com.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.

For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.