E. coli Outbreak Linked to Packaged Salads
Posted January 6, 2022
Fast Facts
- Illnesses: 10
- Hospitalizations: 4
- Deaths: 0
- States: 4
- Recall: No
- Investigation status: Active
Contaminated Food
Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens
- Organic Power Greens salad is a mix of organic spinach, mizuna, kale, and chard
- Sold at grocery stores and supermarkets, including Fred Meyer, QFC, and Giant Eagle
- “Best if used by” dates through December 20, 2021
Eight people ate Simple Truth Organic Power Greens, and one sick person ate Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens. Investigators are working to determine if additional products may be contaminated.
What You Should Do
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Do not eat Simple Truth Organic Power Greens or Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens with “best if used by” dates through December 20, 2021.
- Check your refrigerator and freezer, and throw any away.
- Even if you ate some and did not get sick, throw the rest away.
- Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the salad using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
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Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these severe E. coli symptoms:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Not peeing much
- Dry mouth and throat
- Feeling dizzy when standing up
What Businesses Should Do
Retailers and restaurants do not need to take any action at this time. Information we have now does not suggest that products currently on the market are contaminated.
Symptoms of E. coli
- Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
- Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the bacteria.
- Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.
- Some people may develop a type of kidney failure (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.
- For more information about E. coli, see the E. coli Questions and Answers page.