E Coli Fear: Lettuce Recalled at Trader Joe's, Vons

Irwindale company Ready Pac Foods is recalling more than 5,000 cases of bagged salad products sold at Trader Joe's and Von's/Safeway stores because they may be contaminated with E. coli. The bagged salad and lettuce have use-by dates of Nov. 18 and were sold in California, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington, and our local stores are at The Marketplace (TJ's) and The Market (Von's at the foot of the Belmont Pier):

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Source: Food and Drug Administration

No illnesses have been reported; the recall was instituted based on a random sample that tested positive for the bacteria.

E. coli O157:H7 is a bacterium that causes diarrhea. While most healthy adults recover within a week, the illness can lead to a form of kidney failure, which can lead to kidney damage or death.

People who bought bags of the lettuce should record the Use-by Date and UPC number, throw the bag away and call a Ready Pac Consumer Affairs representative at 800-800-7822, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.