Another week, another scary recall announcement.
While the meat industry is still dealing with the recent Salmonella and E. Coli outbreaks caused by contaminated ground beef and chicken, giant retailers like Walmart, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven are recalling thousands of pounds of salad.
According to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, 2,811 pounds of ready-to-eat salads from various suppliers are involved in the recall issued on October 17.
The salads, which were manufactured by GHSE, Prime Deli Corporation, Mary's Harvest Fresh Foods, and GH Foods CA, may have been contaminated with Listeria and E. Coli after a shared supplier recalled the corn used in the mix.
Thankfully, no illnesses have been reported thus far, but the grocery stores are taking precautionary measures and urging customers to check their fridges.
Recalled Product Information:
Trader Joe's
Brand: Mary's Harvest Southwest Chicken Wrap with Rib Meat & Trader Joe's Mexicali Inspired Salad with Chili Seasoned Chicken
Production date: October 5 to October 13
Locations: Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
7-Eleven
Brand: 7-Eleven Bistro Southwest Style Salad with Bacon
Production date: October 13
Locations: Texas
Walmart
Brand: Marketside Fiesta Salad With Steak
Production date: October 11 to October 14
Locations: Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Whole Foods
Brand: 365 by Whole Foods Market Chicken Fajita Salad, 365 by Whole Foods Market BBQ Style Chopped Salad With Chicken & GH Foods CA's Santa Fe-Style Salad with Chicken and BBQ-Style Salad Kit with White Chicken.
Production date: October 9 to October 13
Locations: Nationwide
If you have a contaminated product in your home, the USDA recommends throwing it away immediately or returning it to the store it was purchased from.
Symptoms to watch for:
Salmonella and listeria are dangerous bacteria that have been responsible for some deadly food-poisoning outbreaks in different parts of the world.
In the United States, Salmonella is responsible for 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths annually. As for Listeria, it causes 1,600 infections and 260 deaths every year.
Like most food-borne illnesses, both Salmonella and listeriosis are characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea. However, there are many other symptoms that set them apart from each other.
Salmonella symptoms usually start 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria, and can cause cramps, fever that spans several days, nausea, bloody stools, chills, headaches, and vomiting. In many cases, the infection will run its course within a week.
A listeria infection is much more sneaky and can go unnoticed for a long time. It can take anywhere from 11 to 70 days before a person with listeriosis starts to experience symptoms, which are flu-like.
If the infection spreads to the nervous system, it can trigger headaches, confusion, tremors and convulsions, stiff neck, and loss of balance. In severe cases, a patient might experience a blood infection, encephalitis, and meningitis, all of which can be fatal.
If you suspect that you or someone you know has become ill, go see a doctor immediately.
