A food recall that began with rotisserie chicken salad sold by Costco has now expanded to include thousands of food products sold by retailers including Costco, Target, 7-Eleven, Walmart, and Starbucks. The foods contain celery that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
The tainted celery, part of a diced onion-celery blend, is produced by Taylor Farms Pacific of Tracy, California, Food Safety News reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says illness reports began on October 6; the 19 people who have become ill range in age from 5 to 84.
A sample of celery and onion diced blend used in Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad tested positive for E. coli 0157:H7 and that chicken salad has been linked to the outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people across seven states. The expanded recall covers a variety of food products that contain the celery blend. The foods include chicken salads and wraps, celery sticks and vegetable trays. A Starbucks’ Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini is among the recalled products. A complete list of the recalled products and the retailers selling the products can be found on the FDA web site.
Escherichia coli (E. coli)—most of which are harmless—live in the intestines of people and animals. These E. coli strains play an important role in a healthy human intestinal tract, according to the CDC, but some E. coli are pathogenic and can cause diarrhea and illnesses outside of the intestinal tract. E. coli is transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces. The CDC notes that infection can be prevented by safe preparation of foods and beverages that could be contaminated with the bacteria, as well as by frequent thorough hand washing during food preparation.
The E. coli strains that cause illness can be transmitted through contaminated water or food, or through contact with animals or persons. Symptoms of the illness include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting, and symptoms usually emerge three to four days after exposure to the bacteria. If the sick individual has fever, it is usually less than 101˚F. Most people recover from the illness within five to seven days, but the infection can be severe or even life threatening. Some people develop complications including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure that can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly.
Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. of Tracy, CA, is recalling the celery blend and products made with the blend “out of an abundance of caution.” Testing by the Montana Public Health Laboratory identified E. coli in the blend used in a Costco chicken salad that has been linked to the multi-state E. coli outbreak, according to the CDC. Health officials expect the number of illnesses to rise as testing confirms more illnesses with the same DNA fingerprint.
from Parker Waichman http://www.yourlawyer.com/blog/food-recall-linked-to-celery-contaminated-with-e-coli-expands/
