Federal officials say a company is remembering a vegetable mixture considered to be the source of E.coli in Costco chicken salad which has been associated with an outbreak which has sickened 19 individuals in seven states. The California-based maker of the diced vegetable mix, Taylor Farms Pacific Inc., issued a recall on the Food and Drug Administration website on Thursday.
Advertisement
A lengthy list of Taylor Farm products was recalled after a sample taken by the Montana Department of Health, testing positive for E. coli 0157:H7. Two of them are reported to have developed hermolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition of kidney failure and could lead to permanent organ damage if are not treated on time. These people ate Costco chicken salad sold at different stores.
Mr. Wilson stated in his statement earlier this week that there was no problem in the retailer’s rotisserie chickens, which it continues to sell, while it has removed salads from its shelves. “Even if you have the best food safety systems in place, it always requires constant monitoring and oversight”.
Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps an average of 3-4 days after swallowing the germ. Children under the age of 5, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk from E. coli illness.
Advertisement
In 2009, a salmonella outbreak linked to a Georgia peanut company killed nine and sickened more than 700 people in 43 states. “The ongoing investigation has not identified what specific ingredient in the chicken salad is linked to illness”.
