E. coli Infections Linked to Salad Kits Sold in Three States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning consumers of an E. coli outbreak linked to salad sold in three states and Canada.

The CDC’s press release read:

Do not eat or sell Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits with this identifying information: UPC 0 71279 30906 4, beginning with lot code Z, and a best-before date up to and including 07DEC19. This information is printed on the front of the bag in the top right corner.

So far, eight people in three states have been infected with the sickness and three hospitalized. One person reportedly developed kidney failure, according to CBS Boston.

Monday, the agency advised consumers not to eat the contents of the kits and to throw the package away:

November 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a recall of over 75,000 pounds of salad after 17 people developed E. coli, according to Breitbart News.

“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,” the report said.

However, officials stated that they are investigating whether or not the current outbreak was caused by a different strain of E. coli than the recent one linked to romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, California.

Monday, the CDC said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with state and local officials, were investigating the multistate outbreak to determine the exact source.

The press release continued:

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. Of seven ill people with information available, all seven (100%) reported eating any leafy green in the week before their illness started. Six ill people reported eating or maybe eating a Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kit.

Symptoms of E. coli vary from person to person but most often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, according to the agency’s website.

“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,” the site concluded.