DOH ISSUES RECALL ALERT FOR MULTIPLE CARROT BRANDS DUE TO E. COLI CONTAMINATION
Published on November 19, 2024, in the Newsroom
HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Food and Drug Branch (FDB) is informing residents about a recall from Grimmway Farms affecting various brands of organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots. This recall is due to the potential risk of E. coli O121:H19 contamination. These products were distributed across the U.S. and include brands such as 365 Whole Foods Market, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Good & Gather, and O Organics, which were available in supermarkets and stores in Hawai‘i.
You can find a full list of the recalled items on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The FDA is collaborating with local stores and grocery chains to make sure these recalled products are taken off the shelves.
Infection with E. coli O121:H19 can cause intense abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms may appear as soon as a day after eating contaminated food or as late as ten days afterward, with a typical incubation period of about three to four days. While most healthy adults usually recover fully within a week, some cases can result in severe bloody diarrhea and potentially life-threatening conditions like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious kind of kidney failure. Young children and older adults are at higher risk for developing HUS. Additionally, an E. coli O121:H19 infection can lead to issues like high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurological problems.
If you've experienced any symptoms after eating any of the recalled products, reach out to your healthcare provider right away. So far, there have been 39 reported illnesses and one death linked to these products across the country. The Department of Health is actively looking into whether these recalled items have led to any illnesses or negative effects in Hawaiʻi.
The recalled carrots should not be available in stores anymore, but they might still be in some people's fridges or freezers. The FDB suggests that consumers check the FDA website for a list of the affected products. If you have bought these recalled carrots, do not eat them. Instead, keep them sealed in a zippered bag and throw them away. Additionally, the FDB advises you to thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces that have come into contact with the carrots to prevent any risk of cross-contamination.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Grimmway Farms at 800-301-3101. You can call them from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. HST, Monday through Friday. Alternatively, you can visit their website at grimmway.com for more information.
You can find product details, important information, and images of the recalled items on this website: https://www.grimmway.com/status-history/?id=3131.
