Wegmans recall of spinach and spring mix salad greens for possible E.coli contamination has been aided by the use of shoppers club cards. After an E.coli outbreak linked to spinach sickened 16 people in New York, the supermarket chain based in Rochester, NY placed phone calls to all of its customers who purchased the recalled product using their Shopper’s Club cards to alert them to the possible danger.
Wegmans recall of Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Spinach & Spring Mix in 5 oz (UPC 77890 16437) and 11 oz. (UPC 77890 16411) and 11 oz plastic clamshell containers was issued Nov. 1. A “use by” date of October 23 has been connected to the illnesses, but customers who recently purchased the salad mix with any “use by” date were contacted.
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. operates 81 stores in six states: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. E.coli poisoning cases associated with eating the spinach are all in New York at this point, but federal authorities have joined the investigation into the outbreak.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that it and the Centers for Disease Control and Pervention (CDC) had joined the investigation into the outbreak. The federal agencies are woking to determine the full distribution path of the product.
E.coli is a bacteria found in the gut of animals. If ingested, it can cause serious illness. Symptoms of E.coli poisoning include abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea. In some cases, a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which leads to kidney failure can develop. Anyone who ate the recalled product and develops symptoms should see a health care provider.
