The FDA has announced that the pathogen in the Kwik Trip Minnesota Wisconsin Del Monte vegetable tray outbreak that has sickened at least four people is Salmonella Infantis. That agency is currently inspecting the Del Monte facility in Kankakee, Illinois that produced those vegetable trays.
The case count in this outbreak remains the same: three sick in Wisconsin, and one sick in Minnesota. Those patients got sick between April 13 and April 27, 2019. The FDA, authorities from Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the CDC are investigating the outbreak, the source of the pathogen, and the distribution of products.
While all patients sickened in this outbreak said they ate the Del Monte Vegetable Trays purchased at Kwik Trip stores before getting sick, the Wisconsin Department of Health outbreak notice stated that these products may have been sold at other retail outlets. Officials are warning consumers to not eat these two products: Del Monte Vegetable Trays containing broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and dill dip in 6 and 12 ounce sizes, no matter where they were purchased.
If you did buy either of these products, do not eat them. Throw them away in a sealed package in a garbage can with a secure lid, or take them back to the store where you purchased them for a refund. then wash and sanitize your refrigerator with a solution of 1 tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of warm water to destroy any bacteria.
Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened with Salmonella infections, said, “After an outbreak, we expect that a company will find and fix what caused the contamination. If you care about food safety, if you care about people, that is what you do.”
Symptoms of a Salmonella food poisoning infection are pretty clear. Patients suffer from fever, chills, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that can be watery or bloody. People usually get sick 12 to 72 hours after exposure. And while most people do recover after this infection, some can develop long term health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, and endocarditis.
