E. Coli Contamination Sparks Bagged Salad Recall

salad-veggies-100921-02
(Image credit: Stock.xchng)

The company Ready Pac Foods, Inc. of Irwindale, Calif. is recalling more than 5,000 cases of ready-made salad due to possible contamination with E. coli bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration said today.

Products being recalled are bagged salads containing romaine lettuce with the use-by date of Nov. 18, 2011.

The recall applies to products sold in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming, the FDA said.

No illnesses related to these products have been reported so far. The voluntary recall was initiated based on a positive test for E.coli O157:H7 in a sample of a Ready Pac product, the FDA said.

A full list of the recalled products can be found here.

Consumers who have purchased the affected product should immediately dispose of them.

E.coli O157:H7 is an organism that may cause diarrheal illness 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 and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. Find us on Facebook.

Editor's note: This story was updated from its original version Alaska, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming were added to the list of states included in the recall.

Live Science Staff
For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.