The USDA has issued a public health alert for beef, pork, and poultry salad and wrap products that were distributed by Caito Foods of Indiana, for possible cyclospora contamination. That company’s lettuce supplier, Fresh Express, told them that the chopped romaine used to make some of their salads and wraps was recalled. There is no indication that this recall of lettuce for cyclospora is linked to the McDonald’s cyclospora outbreak linked to their salads, or to the Del Monte Vegetable Tray cyclospora outbreak.
These items were produced between July 15 and 18, 2018, with “Best By,” “Enjoy by,” “Best if Sold By,” or “Sell By” dates ranging from July 18 through July 23, 2018. The list of recalled products is difficult to read; but you can zoom in by right clicking on the list; it also includes the UPC number and best by dates. You can also see pictures of product labels at the USDA web site. The brand names of the recalled products appear to be delish, Garden Highway, Boar’s Head, Trader Joe’s, good to go!, along with some generic deli salads. The recalled products include Chicken Caesar Salad, Small Chef Salad, Roast Beef Wrap, Santa Fe Salad, Asian Salad, Chicken Cobb Salad, and Garden Salad with Chicken, among others.
All of these Fresh Express Caito Foods products have the establishment number “EST. 39985” or “P-39985” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to distribution centers nationwide.
If you bought any of these recalled products, do not eat them. Throw them away in a sealed package or take them back to the store where you bought them for a refund.
The symptoms of cyclosporiasis include explosive and watery diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, increased gas and bloating, Symptoms usually begin two to 14 days after ingesting the parasite. The notice did not state whether or not any illnesses have been reported, but it did include these sentences: “The incubation period for Cyclospora ranges from two to 14 days, which would include the dates of July 25 through August 6, 2018. Illnesses might not have been reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. For Cyclospora infections this could take up to six weeks.” If you ate those products and have been sick, see your doctor.
