The Earth Grown Falafel E. coli O121 outbreak was the number four outbreak of 2022, sickening at least 24 people in six states according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Frozen Earth Grown Vegan Traditional Falafel and Garlic & Herb Falafel were both recalled after the outbreak was announced. Those products were sold at Aldi stores.
The case count by state was: Florida (2), Iowa (2), Kansas (1), Michigan (13), Ohio (1), and Wisconsin (5). The patient age range was from under the age of one to 77 years, and illness onset date ranged from July 13, 2022 to October 24, 2022. One patient did develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure.
Public health officials interviewed 18 patients about what they ate before they got sick. Fifteen of them, or 83%, said they shopped at Aldi stores. Among those shoppers, 14 ate Earth Grown frozen falafel.
Then, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development collected the product from a patient’s home. They found E. coli on the falafel, and whole genome sequencing showed it was closely related genetically to the bacterial isolates from patients. That means the patients likely got sick from the frozen falafel.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection can include a mild fever, nausea, and vomiting. Most patients suffer from severe and painful abdominal cramps and diarrhea that is likely to be bloody. If you have eaten this frozen falafel and have been ill with those symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Earth Grown falafel E. coli O121 outbreak.
If you have been sickened with an E. coli O121 infection after eating Earth Grown falafel, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
