Multi-State Carrot Recall Has Left One Person Dead — Details Here
The recall includes both whole and baby carrots.
Published Nov. 18 2024, 12:30 p.m. ET
If carrots are your go-to when reaching for a healthy snack, you should stop and read about a recall pulling the orange vegetable from shelves in 18 states.
The carrots are believed to be contaminated with E. coli, which federal officials think may be responsible for an illness that killed one and sent 15 others to the hospital.
Learn more about the Grimmway Farms carrot recall, including what you need to know if your carrots have been involvedand what you should be doing if you're experiencing E. coli-like symptoms after eating the possibly contaminated veggies.
Grimmway Farms recalls carrots after they were connected to a possible E. coli outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that carrots from Grimmway Farms may be behind an outbreak that has sickened at least 39 people, according to a Food Safety Alert.
An updated alert was issued on Nov. 17, 2024, after a multistate outbreak caught the attention of the government agency. The alert says that people began reporting symptoms on Sept. 6, 2024, and the CDC was still receiving information on new cases through Oct. 28, 2024.
Of those cases, 15 were sick enough to be hospitalized, and one person unfortunately lost their life.
There are 15 different brands being recalled.
According to USA Today, the Grimmway Farms carrots were sold in a variety of different forms, including both whole and baby carrots. They were also packed under 15 names — including store brand options like Wegmans and Trader Joe's — and feature some popular brands like Bunny Luv, Good & Gather, and Nature's Promise.
The recalled baby carrots all have best-by dates from Sept. 11, 2024, through to Nov. 12, 2024. However, the whole carrots do not feature best by dates on the package.
According to the CDC, these carrots should all have been pulled from store shelves by now, but it is possible for people to have some in their fridge at home, so the organization suggests customers check the packaging on their carrots and compare it to the recall list before eating them.
You can visit the CDC's website for a full list of the recalled products.
What are the symptoms of E. coli?
Unfortunately, E. coli can be serious and cause very unpleasant symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic, and they include:
- Diarrhea, which could become bloody over time
- Intense cramping/stomach pain
- Vomiting and/or nausea
In very extreme cases, or for those with a compromised immune system, there is a higher risk of more severe symptoms that may even include death.
The CDC is advising people not to eat the contaminated carrots if they have them at home.
The CDC advises shoppers to throw any products included in the recall away. The agency also says that it's important to thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces or items that may have come into contact with the carrots to help eliminate the further spread of E. coli.
If you have consumed the recalled carrots and become symptomatic, the CDC says you should call your healthcare provider. This is especially true if your symptoms have been present for more than three days or are beginning to get worse instead of better.