One person has died and more than three dozen people are sick due to an E.coli outbreak found in carrots.
Grimmway Farms is now recalling organic whole and select organic baby carrots that may be contaminated with E. coli, the FDA reports.
E. coil O121:H19 was found in the carrots, which is described as a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with a weakened immune system.
“Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a hemolytic uremic syndrome,” the FDA explained. “Or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.”
Other symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as 10 days. However, the average incubation period is 3 to 4 days.
To date, 39 illnesses and one death have been associated with an E. coli O121:H19 carrots outbreak.
The following recalled products were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada:
- Organic whole carrots, which do not have a best-if-used-by date printed on the bag, but were available for purchase at retail stores from August 14 through October 23, 2024,
- Organic baby carrots with best-if-used-by-dates ranging from September 11 through November 12, 2024. The recalled carrots should not be available for purchase in stores but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.
“If you have these products in your home, do not eat or use them, throw them away, and clean and sanitize surfaces they touched,” the FDA added. “Consumers concerned about an illness should contact a medical professional.”
E. Coli Carrot Recall Comes Just after McDonald’s Outbreak Incident
The E. coli carrot recall from Grimmway Farms comes just weeks after McDonald’s exeperienced its own outbreak incident
Several states reportedly experienced the E. coli outbreak, with the first case reported on Oct. 22. The outbreak was linked to onions and Quarter Pounders.
McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger announced that the Quarter Pounder and slivered onions were removed from menus.
“Food safety is so important to me and everyone at McDonald’s,” Elinger explained. “Today, after close consultation with regulatory authorities, including the CDC, USDA, and FDA, we’ve taken steps to proactively remove slivered onions, which are used in Quarter Pounders from restaurants in select states.”