The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that over 600 people have gotten sick after eating bagged salads that contained a parasite. The agency said that 37 people required hospitalization.
In June, Fresh Express issued a voluntary recall for any products that contained iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots because they may have been contaminated with Cyclospora. The parasite can cause diarrhea that can last for more than a month, and symptoms appear about within a week.
The bags of salad were made a production facility in Streamwood, Illinois, and were sold in at least 30 states under the following brands: ALDI Little Salad Bar, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco Signature Farms, ShopRite Wholesome Pantry, and Walmart Marketside.
The CDC said that it found cases of Cyclospora linked to the bagged salad in 11 states: Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Retailers have pulled the salads from their shelves, but the CDC and the FDA are advising consumers to check their bags to make sure they were not recalled.
"The Fresh Express recall includes only those salads that are clearly marked with the letter Z at the beginning of the Product Code, which is located in the upper right-hand corner of the front of the package," Fresh Express wrote in a recall letter on its website. "Fresh Express customers have been notified of the recall and instructed to immediately remove recalled products from all store shelves, distribution and other inventories to ensure they are no longer available for sale or consumption."
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