E. Coli Recall Affects Salad Sold In IL By Walmart, Target, Sam's

ILLINOIS — A New Jersey company has recalled nearly 100,000 pounds of salad, some of it distributed to Illinois retailers, because it may be contaminated with E.coli, federal inspectors announced Thursday.

The recall includes various ready-made salads sold under store brands from Walmart, Target, Aldi, Sam's Club, Domino's Pizza and others. A full list of affected products can be found here.

Missa Bay LLC has recalled 97,272 pounds of salad products that contain meat or poultry because the lettuce ingredient may be contaminated with E.coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

The products, some of which tested positive for E.coli O157:H7, were produced between Oct. 14 and 16.

Aldi released a statement on the recall, saying, "We take the safety and integrity of the products we sell very seriously. The two products ALDI sold that were included in this recall, Little Salad Bar Chicken Caesar Salad and Little Salad Bar Santa Fe Style Salad, had been removed from our shelves already and they are past their use-by dates. All of the products currently on our shelves are safe to eat. If customers still have the products mentioned in the recall with a use by date prior to November 2, 2019, they should not consume them and should discard them immediately or return them to their local store for a full refund."

Federal food safety investigators said it's likely that more salad will be impacted by this recall; residents in the impacted states should watch for updates.

In addition to Illinois, the products were shipped to Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Federal food safety inspectors are concerned that some product may still be in distribution centers, restaurants or institutional refrigerators or freezers. Restaurants and institutions that have purchased these products are urged not to serve them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

People infected with STEC 0157:H7 develop diarrhea and vomiting. "Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended," according to federal authorities.

Most people recover within a week but a more severe infection is possible.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC 0157:H7 infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and those with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output.

Anyone experiencing those symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately, authorities advise.

By Kara Seymour, Patch Staff