If your diet includes salads made with raw spinach, take note: The Food and Drug Administration has alerted consumers about an outbreak of E. coli in multiple states associated with fresh spinach and fresh spinach containing-products (such as bagged salads).
The FDA has advised consumers to not eat raw fresh spinach or fresh spinach containing-products. Simply washing the spinach will not eradicate the bacteria.
According to a September 15, 2006, FDA press release, Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products that contain spinach in all the brands they pack with "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006.
Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms.
The FDA says these products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.
The FDA is still investigating whether or not other brands are involved.
In the Monday, September 18, 2006, edition of USA Today, it was reported that a second company's products were expected to be recalled. River Fresh Foods of Salinas, California, was found to have bought spinach from Natural Selection and used the spinach in three of their salad mixes.
The FDA lists the following states as having reported illness: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico.
On September 18, the CDC confirmed that 114 persons infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 21 states.
If you have had symptoms of illness after consuming pre-packaged spinach contact your health care provider. The main symptom is bloody diarrhea. The elderly and children are at a particularly high risk.
Sources:
- "FDA Statement on Foodborne E.coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Spinach
." US Food and Drug Administration. 15 Aug. 2006 <http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01451.html>.
"Update on Multi-State Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections From Fresh Spinach, September 18, 2006." Centers for Disease Control. 18 Aug. 2006 <http://www.cdc.gov/foodborne/ecolispinach/current.htm>.
Vergano, Dan. "Spinach probe, recalls expand." USA Today 18 September 2006, natl. ed.: 1A.
