Spinach Sold In MA Linked To E.Coli Outbreak

MASSACHUSETTS — A popular brand of spinach sold in Massachusetts and other states is not being recalled after the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an E.Coli outbreak and issued a food safety alert.

Josie's Organics has "not been advised to recall or withdrawal any products from market," the company said in a statement after the CDC released its alert Monday. The expiration date of the products suspected in the outbreak has already passed.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture found E. coli in a package of leftover Josie's Organics Baby Spinach in the home of a person who had tested positive for the same strain of E.coli. There have been 10 cases reported in seven states, including Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota and Ohio.

Health officials are interviewing people with confirmed cases about the food they ate the week before they got sick. Of the six people in the current outbreak interviewed so far, who range in age from two to 71, five had consumed Josie's Organics spinach products.

But the CDC warned the actual number of cases is likely much higher.

"The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli," the CDC said in its food safety alert. "In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."

The company that distributes the spinach said the affected products include Josie's Organics, Organic Baby Spinach and Fresh Thyme Organic Baby Spinach and was shipped in plastic containers with Best if Used by date of October 23, 2021 or older. The CDC said people should not sell, serve or eat the affected products.

While certain types of E.coli, or Escherichia coli, live naturally in people's digestive systems, certain strains found in human and animal feces can cause mild to severe gastrointestinal illness. In about 85 percent of human cases, the E.coli bacteria are transmitted by food.

Symptoms — including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting — usually develop between three and nine days after eating the contaminated food. Some people report no symptoms, while mild cases can usually be treated at home and the symptoms will subside in five to seven days.

Some cases, however, report severe symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration says you should call your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
• Bloody diarrhea
• So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, or dizziness when you stand up

"Children under the age of 5 years, adults older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness as a result of an E. coli infection," the FDA said. "However, even healthy older children and young adults can become seriously ill."