E.coli in Baby Spinach
This must be pretty bad if there is a national recall of baby spinach in the USA. As for the supplier, it’s either they knew the laboratory results and ignored it or they just could not control the problem. Either way, it’s poor management and it affected 28 different brands.
Here what the FDA says in the press release:
FDA Warning on Serious Food borne E.coli O157:H7 Outbreak -”One Death and Multiple Hospitalizations in Several States
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing an alert to consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states that may be associated with the consumption of produce. To date, preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that bagged fresh spinach may be a possible cause of this outbreak.
Based on the current information, FDA advises that consumers not eat bagged fresh spinach at this time. Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming bagged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.
“Given the severity of this illness and the seriousness of the outbreak, FDA believes that a warning to consumers is needed. We are working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem,†said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).
E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. To date, 50 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 8 cases of HUS and one death.
At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.”
Although there are many different brands implicated, here’s what one of the 28 brands (Dole Foods) affected says:
“Dole Foods Inc. announced that it supports the voluntary recall issued today by Natural Selection Foods LLC of packaged fresh spinach that Natural Selection Foods produced and packaged with Best-If-Used-By dates from August 17 through October 1, 2006. These packages were sold fewer than 28 different brand names, one of which was DOLE®. Natural Selection Foods produced and packaged all spinach items under the DOLE label (with the names “Spinach,” “Baby Spinach” and “Spring Mix”). Dole has no ownership or other economic interest in Natural Selection Foods.
Consumers should dispose of any DOLE-branded packaged fresh spinach products stamped with a Best-If-Used-By date of August 17 through October 1, 2006 as a precautionary measure in keeping with Dole’s commitment to consumer safety.
The Natural Selection Foods recall and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statement do not impact any Dole products other than DOLE Spinach, Baby Spinach and Spring Mix with Best-If-Used-By dates from August 17 through October 1, 2006. Products that do not contain spinach are not a part of the Natural Selection Foods recall.
Dole is committed to assisting the FDA, the California Department of Health Services and other regulatory agencies in their investigation and this recall by Natural Selection Foods.
We are terribly saddened by these recent events. We express our deepest sympathies to those affected.”
