Missa Bay LLC, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, is recalling about 97,272 pounds of salad products made with meat or poultry because the lettuce ingredient used to make the salads may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The notice does not state that no illnesses have been reported that are connected to these products.
There is a multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak just announced yesterday by the CDC that is linked to some types of lettuce, including romaine. As part of an investigation into the Maryland section of the outbreak, the state collected and tested ingredients in a Ready Pac Bistro Caesar Salad with FSIS EST number 18502B on the label that was taken from the home of one of the patients sickened in this outbreak. The romaine lettuce tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. All products made with the same lot of lettuce – the lettuce used in these Missa Bay salads – are included in the recall.
People sickened in Maryland said they ate the Ready Pac salads, but people sickened in other states did not report consumption of Ready Pac products. The Missa Bay salads recalled today may be at least part of the answer of what made people in other states, including Wisconsin, sick.
The salads were produced from October 14, 2019 through October 16, 2019. All of the recalled salads can be seen in a USDA spreadsheet. As more information becomes available, FSIS will add it to this notice, and will post product labels once they become available.
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who is representing multiple clients sickened in this outbreak, said, “We are glad that the government is finding products that may be linked to this outbreak. No one should get sick just because they ate a salad.” You can contact Fred for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
The recalled salads have the establishment number “EST. 18502B” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to these locations: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
People sickened in this outbreak live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Washington, and Wisconsin. So some of the states were ill persons live match up to some of the states were the Missa Bay salads were sold.
These recalled Missa Bay salads were sold in Giant Eagle, Target, Aldi, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and Domino’s Pizza in the above states. Some of the brand names of the recalled salads include Marketside Bistro Santa Fe, Signature Cafe Deli Southwest, Target Bowl Chicken Caesar, Domino’s GB Garden, Aldi Bistro Chicken Caesar salad, Bonduelle Caesar, and Sam’s ABF Chicken Caesar, among others.
Please check the list of recalled products carefully. Some of these products may still be in home refrigerators even though they are past their use by dates. Remember that even if you don’t eat a contaminated product, cross-contamination can occur with these salads and other foods, especially those that are ready-to-eat.
Symptoms of an E. coli O157:H7 infection include a mild fever, serious and painful abdominal and stomach cramps, and diarrhea that is bloody and watery. Some people sickened in this outbreak have been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure that arises as a complication of an E. coli infection. Symptoms of HUS include little urine output, bleeding from the nose or mouth, pallor, and fatigue. Anyone who is experiencing these symptoms needs to see a doctor immediately. You may be part of this E coli O157:H7 outbreak.
