Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Basil Sold At NJ Trader Joe’s

NEW JERSEY — Basil sold at Trader Joe’s in multiple states, including New Jersey, has been linked to an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened a dozen people in seven states, the retailer said this week.

Those sickened include one person in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The product, Infinite Herbs organic basil, was sold in 2.5-ounce clamshell packages between Feb. 1 and April 6 in Trader Joe’s stores in 29 states and the District of Columbia.

Stores in New Jersey include:

• Brick
• Bridgewater
• Cherry Hill
• Clifton
• Denville
• Edgewater
• Florham Park
• Freehold
• Hoboken
• Marlton
• Middletown Township
• Millburn
• North Brunswick
• Paramus
• Princeton
• Shrewsbury
• Wayne
• Westfield
• Westwood

Seven of eight people with salmonella infections reported eating basil they’d purchased at Trader Joe’s, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Traceback” data determined the basil was produced by Florida-based Infinite Herbs, LLC, the agency said.

One person was hospitalized after becoming infected with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious illnesses or even death.

States where the basil was sold also include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia.

Salmonella infections were reported in Minnesota (four), Florida (three), and Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, each with one illness.