An E.coli outbreak linked to ready-to-eat salads made by Glass Onion Catering and sold at Trader Joe’s stores was the eighth-largest multi-state food poisoning outbreak of 2013. The four-state outbreak sickened 33 people, seven of whom were hospitalized, two with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
Most of the illnesses occurred in California where 28 people were sickened. Arizona and Texas each had one illness and Washington had three.
Public health investigators linked the illnesses to two ready-to-eat salads, Field Fresh Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken and Mexicali Salad with Chili Lime Chicken. About 86 percent of the 22 patients interviewed said they shopped at Trader Joe’s and 80 percent reported eating the salads. Case patients ranged in age from 2 to 78 years old, the median age was 29. About 60 percent of those sickened were female.
Glass Onion issued a recall of numerous ready-to-eat salads and sandwich wrap products on n November 10. A total of 181,620 pounds salads and sandwich wraps containing chicken and ham were recalled. The recalled products had the establishment number “P-34221” inside the USDA mark of inspection and produced between September 23, 2013 and November 6, 2013. After production, they were shipped to distribution centers in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Check Food Poisoning Bulletin each day as we count down the largest multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks of 2013. Coming tomorrow: #7.
