On November 26, 2015, Taylor Farms issued a recall of their celery and onion mixtures after concerns were raised that the mixtures were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The Tracy, California company’s products were linked to the outbreak of E. coli caused by Costco chicken salad. A total of 71 products were recalled. A full list of recalled products can be found on the FDA website. The contaminated products were distributed to retail and food service locations nationwide, including retailers such as Walmart, 7-Eleven, Target, Costco, King Soopers, Pantry, Savemart, Safeway, Vons, Alberton’s, Tony’s and Starbucks.
The outbreak associated with chicken salad from Costco as yet to be updated. It stands at 19 people sick in 7 states. States affected include California with 1 case, Colorado with 4 cases, Missouri with 1 case, Montana with 6 cases, Utah with 5 cases, Virginia with 1 case, and Washington with 1 case. A total of 5 people have been hospitalized because of the outbreak. Two cases of HUS have been reported. There have been no deaths associated with the outbreak.
E. coli is a family of bacteria. Many of the strains of E. coli are harmless, but some strains can cause illness in humans. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning may appear between 3 and 10 days after infection. Symptoms include things such as vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. E. coli may cause a very serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS damages red blood cells, which in turn harms the kidneys and may cause kidney damage or failure. If you or a loved one begin showing the symptoms of E. coli poisoning, contact a medical professional.
