Outbreak Investigation of lllnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 November 2019 | FDA

Outbreak Investigation of lllnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 November 2019 | FDA



Outbreak Investigation of lllnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 November 2019

November 21, 2019 

Recommendation 

On Nov. 21, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall by Missa Bay, LLC, a Swedesboro, N.J. establishment. The salad products subject to the recall can be found in a spreadsheet on the FSIS website and bear the USDA mark of inspection. 

Do not eat the recalled products.

The salad product items were produced from Oct. 14, 2019 through Oct. 16, 2019, and the recommended “use by” date for all of the product was Nov. 1, 2019, or earlier. There is concern that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators, or that portions may have been frozen, even though they are past their use by dates. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. 

Background 

FDA, CDC, FSIS and state health authorities are investigating an outbreak of illnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 in the U.S.

Products in the recall noted above were produced with the same lot of lettuce that was used to produce the packaged salad that the Maryland Department of Health found to contain E. coli 0157:H7. 

That product was Ready Pac Bistro® Chicken Caesar Salad, lot #255406963, UPC 0 77745 27249 8, “Best By” date Oct. 31, 2019, and it is included in this recall.

FDA is tracing back the supply of the romaine lettuce in the Caesar salad. FDA has identified possible farms in Salinas, California. FDA is deploying investigators to determine the source and extent of the contamination. More information will be forthcoming as the investigation proceeds. 

Although the ill people interviewed in Maryland reported eating Ready Pac Bistro® Chicken Caesar Salad, at this time, ill people in other states have not reported eating this particular salad. Therefore, exposure to this product alone does not fully explain other cases in the outbreak.

State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures of interest in the week before their illness started. 

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