The FDA has weighed in on the Josie’s Organics baby spinach E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 14 people in nine states as of November 15, 2021. Four people have been hospitalized, and three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure.
The outbreak was first discovered in November 2021 when the Minnesota Department of Agriculture found E. coli in an opened package of Josie’s Organics baby spinach that was taken from a patient’s home. The sample had a “best if used by” date of October 23, 2021. Whole genome sequencing has, according to the CDC, revealed that that isolate is closely related to isolates taken from ill people.
Illness onset dates range from October 13 to October 27, 2021. The patient case count by state is: Iowa (1), Indiana (4), Michigan (1), Minnesota (2), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), and South Dakota (2).
The FDA conducted traceback for the positive product sample back to a small number of farms in different geographic regions, which have not been named, and deployed investigators along the supply chains. Reported spinach exposures are still being traced back to try to see if more spinach from more farms may be implicated in this multistate outbreak.
At this time, consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve Josie’s Organics Baby Spinach with a best if used by date of October 23, 2021. The product is packaged in a clear plastic clamshell with the date on the top label. This product is beyond its expiration date, but it may still be in consumers’ refrigerators and may have been made into casseroles that could be frozen. If you did buy this product or made anything with it, throw them away. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling this product.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection can take up to seven days to appear, although most people get sick within a few days after eating food contaminated with this pathogen. Symptoms include a mild fever, nausea and vomiting, and severe and painful stomach and abdominal cramps. The characteristic symptom of E. coli is bloody diarrhea. Hemolytic uremic syndrome symptoms include little or no urine output, easy bruising, bleeding from the nose and mouth, pale skin, and lethargy.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing these symptoms, see a doctor. You may be part of this Josie’s Organics baby spinach E. coli outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with an E. coli infection or HUS after eating Josie’s Organics baby spinach, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
