One person is dead and over a dozen others were hospitalized due to an E. coli outbreak connected to recalled organic carrots.
California grower Grimmway Farms issued a nationwide recall of multiple sizes and brands of baby and whole organic carrots tied to the outbreak, which they produced for some of the country’s leading supermarkets over an E. coli outbreak, which includes Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods, amongst others. Grimmway Farms shared on its website that organic whole carrots sold without a “best-if-used-by” date between Aug.14 and Oct. 23, 2024, and organic baby carrots with “best-if-used-by” dates from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12, 2024. Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and dispose of any recalled carrots immediately.
The recall comes after reports from 18 states documenting nearly 40 cases connecting its baby carrots with the illness, which led to one death and 15 hospitalizations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement: “Interviews with sick people and traceback findings show that organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms are making people sick. Multiple brands and sizes of bagged organic whole and baby carrots were recalled. These products are no longer for sale at stores but may still be in people’s homes. Check your refrigerators and throw them away.”
The carrots have been removed from retailers, but the CDC has warned consumers to not eat recalled bag carrots and to check their refrigerators or freezers and throw away any carrots that fit the description. Per the CDC, most of those infected with E. coli lived in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, although infections have been reported in states throughout the country.
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