E. Coli Outbreak Update
Last week, there was a small, voluntary recall of Costco chicken salad due to potential E. coli contamination in its vegetable mix. First identified by the Montana Department of Health, the initial recall specifically focused on the celery and onion blend used to make Costco chicken salad and a number of other products available at Costco stores and was issued “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the FDA. The vegetables, produced by Taylor Farms Pacific from Tracy, CA, were responsible for sickening 19 people in 7 states with the E. coli O157:H7 strain.
However, this simple case has proven quite a bit more complex. Today, the FDA and Taylor Farms expanded the recall, identifying the offending vegetable as celery, and Taylor Farms’ celery is used in over 150,000 different products available from retailers as diverse as Target, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Safeway, Starbucks, Sam’s Club, and Alberton’s. According to the FDA, affected products can be found on the shelves of these stores in 17 states including:
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
A full list of the affected products is available on the FDA’s website, here, this is also the official recall announcement.
About E. coli 0157:H7
This is a Class I recall to the volatility of the E. coli 0157:H7 strain that the Montana Department of Health identified. This strain of E. coli produces what are known as Shiga toxins, which can lead to kidney failure in 6-9% of all adult and 15% of all child cases, according to the CDC. While no deaths have been reported as a result of this particular outbreak, at least two of the 19 people sickened by the Costco chicken salad were hospitalized and experienced kidney failure.
Consumers currently in possession of the Costco chicken salad, or any other item on the FDA’s list, should immediately dispose of the product and not consume it. In addition, anyone who has consumed these products and who experiences any of the following symptoms – nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and/or vomiting – should contact their healthcare provider immediately.
The incubation period for E. coli 0157:H7 is 3-7 days. The CDC cautions that many consumers who have been exposed to the bacteria may have yet to show symptoms, even though all identified products have been removed from store shelves. That means it is likely that this outbreak is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.