E. Coli Outbreak Update - Partial List of Spinach Brand Names Recalled

http://www.ebfarm.com/ ^ | 9/15/06 | earthbound farms

[stlnative]

FDA Investigation; Packaged Fresh Spinach Recall

A statement from Natural Selection Foods, LLC.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA; CALIF; September 15, 2006: We are aware of reports of illnesses in multiple states nationwide including one death, possibly related to e coli contamination in fresh spinach. We have been working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) to try to understand the scope and locate the source of any contamination.

In an effort to minimize risk and afford the maximum possible protection to consumers, the FDA and CDHS have recommended that fresh spinach that is currently in the market be recalled. We have decided to voluntarily recall all of the products which contain spinach in all the brands we pack with “Best if Used by Dates” of August 17th through October 1st. Brands include: Dole, Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature’s Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe’s, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D’Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer’s Market, Tanimura & Antle, President’s Choice, Cross Valley, Riverside Farms. Products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and foodservice products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall. We are working with the FDA and CDHS to offer consumers the greatest possible protection with the limited information available.

Products were distributed within the United States nationwide, Canada and Mexico. No illnesses have been reported to date outside of the U.S.

E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. If consumers are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact should be made with their local health provider.

The health and safety of those who consume our products is our top priority today and every day. We remain absolutely committed to providing a safe, nutritious product to all of our customers and we will continue to work with the FDA and CDHS on their ongoing investigation. Consumers requesting additional information may contact Natural Selection Foods at 888-736-2840.

Consumers with any of the products described above should dispose of the products.

[visualops]

my beef tartare raw

I hope so lol

[TommyDale]

I suppose they got their food where everyone else did, grocery stores, restaurants. They just didn't eat the crops from the fields.

[BigSkyFreeper]

SYSCO which is listed is a very large distributor for restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.

Grocery stores are their biggest clients.

[Knute]

Rare beef & burgers
Very rare - still moving is good

My grandfather used to tell the waiter(ess), "Take the chill off the middle". Our family still eats raw ground beef on rye with a slice of onion and a little black pepper on New Years Day

[conservative blonde]

Good question. Thanks for the thought for the day.

[conservative blonde]

Well, your brother is either a militant Christian who believes God will protect him or has a death wish.

[conservative blonde]

I got that e-mail too and it made me sick to think about tadpoles jumping around in my stomach. I didn't check Snoops to see if this e-mail was authentic.

[hedgetrimmer]

Consumer activist Barb Kowalcyk said fixing the nation's "fractured network" of food safety agencies could save lives

Here it comes

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and other lawmakers seek a hearing on legislation that would consolidate all federal food safety agencies and establish the Food Safety Administration

NGOs must be lobbying the government to create another unconstitutional body, so they can make a financial killing on it, like the Rand corporation and CSIS did with the department of homeland security. Bigger government, HERE WE COME!

[rampage8]

I got the following email on July 1. I wonder if it is related. (I don't know how to adjust the format, so sorry if it looks sloppy!).............

Unseen danger in bagged salads
E.coli in your veggies? At least 26 people in 3 states reportedly got sick

FDA Issues Nationwide Health Alert on Dole Pre-Packaged Salads

DATELINE recently featured a segment on popular salad mixes being sold in plastic bags in supermarkets. The documentary highlighted the entire production process and disclosed that E-coli had been showing up in the bagged salad.

It has not been ascertained how the salad mix gets contaminated with E-coli, but serious illness and even deaths have been occurring in many states. One woman featured spoke about her child who had almost died after eating salad prepared from the mix and was ill for a long time after.

The public is warned not to buy any salad mix until the cause of the contamination has been determined.

The Dole Company has since recalled their product. For further information, check the MSNBC link below and click on "Launch" below the salad:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12536902/

[rampage8]

Corrcetion, the above email was from July 31 (not 1st).

[beaversmom]

Possibly a death wish or figures his chances of his bag of it being contaminated are slim.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

BOHICA alert. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and other lawmakers seek a hearing on legislation that would consolidate all federal food safety agencies and establish the Food Safety Administration

And to those who claim that washing and trimming vegetables will not get rid of bacterial contaminants, watch how the story changes today. The bacteria could be introduced where the plant was cut or trimmed, but it does NOT get "inside". Otherwise virtually all produce that had come into contact with any spinach would have to be thrown out. Fearmongers attempting to interrupt the safest food supply in the world. And lawyers out for a quick buck.

[RDTF]

Right now I'm glad I'm one of those kids who won't eat spinach, no matter how strong it made popeye

[jeffers]

So what about Dole bags of regular salad, bags with no text on them indicating spinach of any kind, bags where all the lettuce looks like lettuce?

I don't really know what spinach looks like, but the kids are here, and salad is on the menu for tonight.

It looks 100% safe to me, but an additional check here won't hurt.

Anything to worry about?

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Anything to worry about?

You have not heard? This E Coli is so bad and pervasive that it leaps all the way across the grocery aisle. You can not wash it off, for it permeates every membrane. Just touching spinach will cause immediate renal failure. We are DOOMED.

Do I really need the sarc tag?

[stlnative]

You really need some help.
You have your nose all bent out of shape over spinach.
No one is acting like it is the end of world when it comes to raw spinach. There is some bad spinach out there that is making some people sick at this time. 14 of them are in kidney failure due to this and you want to act like people who are concerned to some degree are falling all apart over this.

You have been giving a lot of bad advise to people and are saying that the FDA is overreacting and that I have even overreacted.

If you choose to eat the raw spinach in raw form that is part of the recall then please go for it and knock yourself out. You have been giving out dangerous advise telling some freepers they can wash this recalled spinach to remove the e.coli when it is clear the FDA says to throw it away or cook it, but don't eat it raw until they are sure the problem has been taken care of.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

You have been giving out dangerous advise telling some freepers they can wash this recalled spinach to remove the e.coli when it is clear the FDA says to throw it away

I never told people to to use the recalled stuff. I DID tell people to wash ALL fresh vegetables, even if it says "pre-washed". Even linked the FDA and USDA websites.

[stlnative]

So far bagged salad has not been recalled unless it has spinach in it.

You can go to the DOLE website (google it) and look up the salad mix you have and see if it has spinach in it if it does not tell you on the bag.

Image Google "Spinach Leaf" to see what a spinach leaf looks like that is if you want to make sure there is no spinach in the salad bag you have.

[madison10]

Recall of spinach: Every kid's dream and Popeye's nightmare

[madison10]

How do we get e-colie in a fresh vegetable?

Improper sanitary conditions, especially not washing one's hands after taking a poo-poo (sorry, trying to be decent) and then picking vegetables. All those outhouses in the vegetable fields...and not enough soap.