A California company is recalling organic walnuts sold at health food stores and co-op retailers in 19 states because of an E. coli outbreak that sickened 12 people and hospitalized seven, federal officials said.
Gibson Farms, the Hollister, California-based company, is voluntarily recalling its Organic Light Halves and Pieces brand shelled walnuts after discovering that the nuts may carry E. coli strain 0157:H7, which “causes a diarrheal illness that is often accompanied by bloody stools,” the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement Tuesday.
The recall came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the company of 12 recorded illnesses linked to the walnuts. They were sold in more than 300 grocery retailers, including Whole Foods Market, New Seasons Market and Rosauers Supermarkets, the FDA said.
An investigation is underway to determine the possible source of the contamination, the FDA said. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
Symptoms of E. coli can vary from person to person and include cramps, diarrhea, or gastrointestinal distress. Other common symptoms include vomiting and fever. According to the CDC, people begin to experience symptoms three to four days after consuming foods or drinks that contain E. coli bacteria
A Whole Foods spokesman said the recalled walnuts were shipped to 10 of its Whole Foods Market stores in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas and were only used as an ingredient in a salad offered in those stores’ salad bars. The salad item was removed from salad bars and the recalled walnuts were immediately destroyed, the spokesman said.
A spokesperson for New Seasons Market said the grocery chain “immediately removed the affected product from its shelves,” adding that it also “posted signs in the appropriate sections to alert consumers to who may have purchased it.” .
This particular strain of E. coli is associated with a toxin called Shiga, which can cause bloody diarrhea and “cause serious illness in a small number of people,” according to Dr. Richard Ellison, an epidemiologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, said Wednesday.
Although most healthy adults would fully recover within a week, some people could develop a form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is most likely to occur in young children and older adults, the FDA said in its release.
Dr. Ellison said about 90 percent of people get better on their own without antibiotics, and about 10 percent develop a disease that can cause anemia and kidney damage.
“In general, we recommend supportive care and good hydration,” he added.
Consumers who experience symptoms should contact their healthcare provider for assistance, the FDA said.
So far, the people who have become ill in the outbreak have been in California and Washington state. No deaths were reported.
The organic light halves and pieces were sold in bulk containers of 25-pound quantities, according to the FDA. The expiration dates for the affected product are between May 21, 2025 and June 7, 2025, the agency said.
A list of stores where the walnuts were sold can be found on the FDA website.
Consumers who purchased walnuts from bulk containers should check their pantries, refrigerators and freezers and “do not eat or use them,” the FDA said. They should also “clean and disinfect surfaces” that came into contact with the product, the agency said.
Retailers who received the recalled products should discard the walnuts and disinfect the containers before restocking them, the FDA said.
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2024-05-02 00:23:34
www.nytimes.com
