FDA announces carrots, broccoli, and more vegetables recall due to possible E.coli contamination: Drama explained

In the latest twist, the FDA has recalled multiple brands of Organic Vegetable Medley sold at grocery stores like Walmart, Sprout’s Farmers Market, and Albert’s Organic due to the possible presence of E. coli bacteria.

The call was voluntarily initiated by 4Earth Farms, a California-based supplier when it was informed that the Grimmway Farms carrots in its mixed veggies could be potentially contaminated with E. coli O121:H19.

New Hampshire, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Illinois, and Colorado are some of the states where the products were distributed.

According to a Press Release by the FDA, the products listed in the recall “have been expired for more than 3 weeks” as they had their “Best Buy” dates ranging from Sept. 7 through Nov. 2, 2024. However, the products might not be in stores but FDA believes that they might be lying in Consumer’s homes. While no illnesses have been reported to 4EarthFarms so far, the FDA has encouraged people to check their fridges for any remaining stock from the recall list.

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What were the products recalled by 4Earth Farms?

A minimum of 10 products were recalled by 4Earth Farms. They are as follows:

· Wild Harvest Organic Vegetable Medley 12 oz, UPC 711535517733 (Distributed to Albert’s Organics)

· Marketside Organic Vegetable Medley 12 oz, UPC 681131179461 (Distributed to Walmart)

· Marketside Vegetable Medley 32 oz, UPC 681131457378 (Distributed to Walmart)

· Marketside Vegetable Medley 12 oz, UPC 681131328791 (Distributed to Walmart)

· Marketside Stir Fry Medley 12 oz, UPC 681131457460 (Distributed to Walmart)

· 4Earth Farms Organic Vegetable Medley 12 oz, UPC 803944306999 (Distributed to O.K. Produce)

· Wild Harvest Organic Vegetable Medley 12 oz, UPC 711535517733 (Distributed to UNFI)

· Grimmway Organic Whole Carrots 1 lb (Distributed to Kennedy Produce)

· 4Earth Farms Vegetable Medley 12 oz, UPC 803944307064 (Distributed to Sprouts Farmers Market)

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Precautions to take if you come in contact with the contaminated products

According to the FDA, in case you accidentally touch the contaminated vegetables, you must sanitize and clean the surfaces they came in contact with. Also, dispose of the vegetables immediately if any in your refrigerators.

Consult a medical professional if you spot any symptoms of E. coli bacteria. Symptoms include diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Children younger than 5 and adults older than 65 are at a high risk of infection due to weak immune systems, said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In November, a nationwide recall of whole and baby organic carrots sourced from Grimmway Farms affected many stores including Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and many more. The recall was conducted as a result of an E.coli outbreak in carrots, as per the CDC. It reported 39 illnesses, 15 hospitalizations, and one death.

The states that reported the cases of E.coli were Wyoming, Washington, Virginia, Texas, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, New, Jersey, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Colorado, California, and Arkansas.

Out of these most of the cases were reported from Washington state, Minnesota, and New York.