Over 75K Pounds of Salad Recalled Due to E. Coli Outbreak

More than 75,000 pounds of salad have been recalled due to a possible E. coli contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Thursday press release stated:

Missa Bay, LLC, a Swedesboro, N.J. establishment, is recalling approximately 75,233  pounds of salad products that contain meat or poultry because the lettuce ingredient may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

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

The food items were produced from October 14, 2019, through October 16, 2019, and were listed as bowl salads containing romaine lettuce sold at Walmart, Target, and Aldi.

So far, a total of 17 people, including one three-year-old, were infected with the E. coli sickness. Two individuals in Maryland said they ate the chicken Caesar salad from Missa Bay before they became ill and were admitted to the hospital.

“Seven people have been hospitalized and two developed a type of kidney failure. There have been no fatalities,” according to the New York Post. 

Thursday, the USDA urged consumers to either throw the food items away or return them to the place of purchase.

“Most people with a STEC infection start feeling sick 3 to 4 days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria. However, illnesses can start anywhere from 1 to 10 days after exposure,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms may vary from person to person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.

“Contact your healthcare provider if you have diarrhea that lasts for more than 3 days or diarrhea that is accompanied by a fever higher than 102˚F, blood in the stool, or so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down and you pass very little urine,” the agency concluded.