In This Story
An E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots has left one person dead and least 39 people sick, federal regulators are reporting.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a nationwide outbreak of E. coli linked to recalled organic carrots.
On Saturday, Bakersfield, California-based Grimmway Farms voluntarily recalled dozens of brands of its organic whole and baby carrots due to a potential contamination of E. coli, a bacterium that can cause serious infections.
Cases linked to this outbreak – including 15 hospitalizations — have been reported in 18 states.
“We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously,” said Grimmway Farms CEO Jeff Huckaby in a statement. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvest, and processing practices. Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.”
In total, 18 brands of organic whole and baby carrots were affected. The products have been distributed nationwide in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Here are the carrot brands being recalled
Whole carrots, which do not have a best-if-used-by date, but were available for purchase from Aug. 14 to Oct.23.
- 365 (AMZN+2.42%)
- Bunny Luv
- Cal-Organic
- Compliments
- Full Circle
- Good & Gather (TGT+0.05%)
- GreenWise
- Marketside (WMT+0.88%)
- Nature’s Promise
- O-Organic (ACI-2.30%)
- President’s Choice
- Simple Truth (KR-0.14%)
- Trader Joe’s
- Wegmans
- Wholesome Pantry
Baby carrots with best-if-used-by dates ranging from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12.
- 365
- Bunny Luv
- Cal-Organic
- Compliments
- Full Circle
- Good & Gather
- GreenWise
- Grimmway Farms’
- Marketside
- Nature’s Promise
- O-Organic
- President’s Choice
- Raley’s
- Simple Truth
- Sprouts (SFM-0.82%)
- Trader Joe’s
- Wegmans
- Wholesome Pantry
The recalled carrots are likely no longer on store shelves, but could still be in consumers’ homes.
Health regulators are asking customers to throw away any recalled carrots and to clean any surfaces they have touched.
E. coli is a bacteria that is found in the the intestines of people and animals. Most E. coli are harmless, but certain strains can cause serious infections.
Common symptoms of an E. coli infection include stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting – most people can recover without treatment in about a week, according to the CDC.
However serious infections can lead to serious kidney problems, and could require hospitalization.
The CDC says people should call a healthcare provider if they experience severe symptoms like a fever higher than 102°F, diarrhea for more than three days, bloody diarrhea, excessive vomiting that makes hard to keep liquids down, and signs of dehydration.