TAMPA, Fla. — Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits have been linked to a multi-state outbreak of E. coli, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC says at least eight people from Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. While it is the same strain of E. coli carried through romaine lettuce that sickened more than 100 people in multiple states earlier this month, the CDC says it is unclear if the salad kit recall is related. The recalled salad kits do contain romaine lettuce.
The affected salad has the following identifying information: UPC 0 71279 30906 4, beginning with lot code Z, and a best-before date up to and including 07DEC19. This information is printed on the front of the bag in the top right corner.
</p><p>If you have any of the salad kits, the CDC says:
- Do not eat it.
- Throw it away.
- Even if some of the kit was eaten and no one got sick, throw the rest away.
- Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where the salad kit was stored. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.
Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting, according to the CDC. Most people get better within 5 to 7 days. Some infections are very mild, but others are severe or even life-threatening.
Take action if you have symptoms of an E. coli infection:
- Talk to your healthcare provider.
- Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
- Report your illness to your local health department.
- Assist public health investigators by answering questions about your illness.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after changing diapers, using the toilet and before and after preparing food to lower the chance of infecting others.
For more information and the investigation details, click here.
This story was originally published by WFTS in Tampa, Florida.
