Carrots sold at Trader Joe’s, Wegmans recalled due to potential E. coli contamination

Carrots sold at grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s and Wegmans are being recalled after being linked to a deadly multi-state E. coli outbreak.

Grimmway Farms has issued a recall of some of its organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots that were sold under multiple labels including Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Bunny-luv, Nature’s Promise, Simple Truth and 365. The products, which may be contaminated with E. coli, should no longer be available for purchase in grocery stores but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers, the company said.

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The recalled organic whole carrots were available for purchase at retailers nationwide from Aug. 14 through Oct. 23, and the recalled organic baby carrots had best-if-used-by dates ranging from Sept. 11 through Nov. 12. California-based Grimmway Farms has posted a list of the potentially affected products, as well as photos of the labels, online. People who have the products should not eat them, and should throw them away and sanitize any surfaces they touched. 

The Grimmway Farms carrots were potentially contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The FDA and CDC are investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to the Grimmway Farms carrots that has so far included 39 illnesses, 15 hospitalizations and one death. Pennsylvania and New Jersey have had 1-2 illnesses each in the outbreak.

E. coli can cause serious and sometimes-fatal infections in young kids, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms — which can begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later — can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, according to the FDA. Some E. coli infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to conditions, like high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and neurologic problems.

“We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously,” Grimmway Farms CEO Jeff Huckaby said in a release. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvest, and processing practices. Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.”