The BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least eight people in two states, according to an investigation notice posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least five people bought or ate this product before they got sick. The company has issued a recall for eight of their branded packaged salad products.
The patient case count by state as of July 14, 2021 is: Wisconsin (3), and Illinois (5). Illness onset dates range from June 10, 2021 to June 15, 2021. The patient age range is from 31 to 61 years. This outbreak may not be limited to these states and is likely much higher than the number reported, according to the CDC. Many people contract Salmonella infections and do not seek medical care, so are not tested.
Officials from Wisconsin and Illinois interviewed patients about the foods they ate the week before they got sick and collected shopper card records to determine the products they purchased. All eight people reported eating leafy greens, and 88% said they ate prepackaged salads. Interviews and shopper card records show that five people ate or bought BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad before they got sick.
The FDA conducted trackback and identified the farm in Rochelle, Illinois as the likely source of the salad purchased by these patients. In addition, whole genome sequencing conducted on the bacteria from sick people’s samples is closely related genetically. That means that people in this outbreak most likely got sick from eating the same food.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Noted food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients in Salmonella lawsuits against grocery stores, processors, and food producers, said, “No one should get sick because they bought a salad to eat. No product, especially ready to eat items, should be contaminated with enough bacteria to make people sick.”
The salad is a green leaf lettuce salad in a plastic clamshell containers. It is labeled with the words “Fresh from Rochelle, IL.” The salad was distributed to at least four states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Consumers should not purchase this salad with any best by date.
If you have bought it, throw it away immediately in a secure garbage can, even if some if it has been eaten and no one has been sick. Clean your refrigerator with soap and water after you discard the salad and wash your hands well with soap and water.
Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include a fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, stomach and abdominal cramps and pain, and diarrhea that may be bloody. Symptoms usually start 6 to 72 hours after infection, although some people don’t get sick up to a week later. If you have eaten this salad and have been sick, see your doctor. You may be part of this BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad Salmonella outbreak.
