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.

[katykelly]

I was at my local Safeway this afternoon. They had not pulled any of their bagged spinach. I thought it odd.

Luckily I grow my own.

[kinoxi]

Popeye's gonna kick some a$$... once he gets off the crapper.

[toothfairy86]

I grow my own rasberries. They pretty much fall apart when you wash them.

[mhx]

That sounds like it would work.

[Rte66]

Brrrr. Made me think of icy cold showers in Cozumel in marble shower stalls.

Hmmm, that's one thought I can keep for the rest of summer when I'm dying of heat fever.

[stlnative]

Please know I was not trying to be rude to you. The best thing to do is to read the articles to understand the warnings and not to listen to folks who think you can wash this type of e.coli out leafy veggies and still eat them raw.

You have to think about how they may wash this spinach and that they may lay it in vats of water that may have been contaminated. You have open ends on the stems that will soak up of the water. The contaminated water then will travel up into the veins in the leafs. There is no way you can safely wash it out once it enters the stems and veins.

If the plants were grown in contaminate soil, well then the plants will also be contaminated from the time they start growing until they reach the market.

Cooking the raw spinach will kill it - but it needs to be cooked at about 160F to kill this strain of e.coli

About a year ago they had problems with green onions being grown in e.coli contaminated soil. Now if you think about green onions and how they are structured there is no way to get rid of the e.coli that lives between the layers of raw green onion unless you cook them at 160F.

The bleach to water ratio some folks are suggesting to clean veggies with is fine for some veggies but will not work on veggies that have been grown in e.coli contaminated soil or veggies that can absorb the e.coli contaminated water when they are growing or being washed. Right now they don't know exactly how the spinach was contaminated. But I do know that they believe this bad batch of spinach has absorb the e.coli into the stems and leaf veins.

[Rte66]

You know where they've been, tho. I've just avoided raspberry-anything since then, because of the long-time strawberry allergy I already had had.

I think my non-reaction to raspberries all those years was just a little gift from God - a reprieve for a while. I loved them and would still love them, but just don't want to tempt fate, so I haven't tried washing any.

My strawberry reaction is life-threatening, so I haven't touched one in almost 30 years - and I loved those, too. That one turned out to be inherited.

[devolve]

Yesterday I skipped the spinach

The two Coronas did not kill me

[potlatch]

I'm glad!

[Rte66]

That's mostly good advice - except that I have always eaten my burgers rare, my steaks rare and my beef tartare raw. Have never gotten sick from that (tempting fate by saying "never," I suppose) - and don't intend to change that.

I have lots of allergies and sensitivities - if there were any way this could have hurt me, it would have.

[devolve]

Rare beef & burgers

Very rare - still moving is good

I cannot stand beef cooked to a crisp or even medium

There is a great local brewery that will serve monster burgers very rare

I can understand why most places do not

[stlnative]

Here is an interesting article of how they think leafy veggies can get contaminated with this strain of E.coli

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

Here is a small snippet... (this is only one possibility)

Scientists believe E.coli bacteria might have been absorbed by the lettuce plant’s root system. If that happens, washing the lettuce won’t do any good—the E.coli is already growing inside.

[Cvengr]

Say, Rte 66, I understand this weekend is the big Route 66 car show in San Bernardino. Must be over 2400 entries and that's just on the impromptu registrants. I hear it's a pretty good show this year.

[TigersEye]

That is very interesting. Thanks for posting that. I would have bet my last cigarette that chlorine bleach was the most effective disinfectant you could use. In fact that is what I use, diluted with water, in a sprayer. Looks like its time to update my kitchen craft.

[potlatch]

still moving is good

Aww, come on devolve, lol. I like rare - but dead!! Bet you'd like the Tequila with the worm too!!

[stlnative]

Ground Beef always has to be well done (no pink) for me. But yeah I like my steaks thick and medium rare or redder, but crispy on the outside with good searing.

We had t-bones tonight that I grilled. If there is anything I can cook right, it's steak but my hubby likes them the same way I do.

[devolve]

No Tequila for me

I do like burgers & steaks very rare

We used to have a great butchering place that we took our fed-out Brahma steers to

They aged the beef just perfectly

[jmax]

As a matter of fact, I've never seen a Porta-Potty out in a field with picking going on. Think you hit the jackpot with your post.

[potlatch]

And I ate 'bottle raised' Hamburger and T-bone! Remember what I told you?

[Rte66]

Darn, I'll have to miss it. Hope everyone has fun in San Berdoo and gets all the kicks they want!

*Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino ... get hip to this timely tip ... next time you make that California trip ... get your kicks on Route ... six ... six!*