NEW YORK (AP) — An outbreak of E. coli has infected dozens of people who ate bagged organic carrots, and one person died from the infection.
A total of 39 people were infected and 15 were hospitalized in 18 states after eating organic whole carrots and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday.
Grimmway Farms, based in Bakersfiled, California, has recalled the carrots, including whole and baby organic carrots sold in bags under multiple brand names, including 365, Cal-Organic, Nature’s Promise, O-Organics, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans.
The carrots are no longer in stores, but the CDC is warning consumers not to eat the recalled bagged carrots, check their refrigerator or freezer and throw away any carrots that match the description. Most of the infected people live in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, although infections have been reported in states across the country, according to the CDC.
There have been several E.coli outbreaks in recent months. In October, more than 100 McDonald’s customers fell ill due to an E. coli outbreak in the US linked to chopped onions. In Britain, one person died in an E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce in June, sickening at least 275 people. Organic walnuts sickened consumers in 19 states with E. coli infections in April.
Despite the number of recent outbreaks, experts say the food supply is generally safe, although not much progress has been made in reducing infections caused by E. coli.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the recalled organic baby carrots have an expiration date ranging from September 11 through November 12.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually begin three to four days after eating the bacteria and include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, which is often bloody, and vomiting. People with severe symptoms of an E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell the provider what they ate, the CDC said.
The bacteria E. coli can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA.