The Arizona Department of Health Services has announced that Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. recalled celery-containing products due to a possible E. coli risk earlier this week. Some of these products, including celery sticks, diced celery, and pre-made salads containing celery were sold in Arizona at Costco, Safeway, Albertsons, Sam’s Club, and Walmart.
At this time, no one in Arizona has gotten sick from E. coli associated with this recall, but 19 people in 7 other states have been infected.
The outbreak was first detected in Montana, where disease detectives there identified a pre-made chicken salad from Costco as the potential culprit. Further investigation and laboratory testing found that a celery and onion blend distributed through Taylor Farms was the likely source of E. coli. Taylor Farms has since recalled celery-containing products. A full list of the recalled products and stores to which they were distributed is available on the FDA website. Only celery-containing products from Taylor Farms are of concern at this time. If you think you have a recalled product in your home, you should throw it away or return it to the store where it was purchased.
E.coli causes severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Usually people with E. coli do not get a fever. Most people get better within a week. In some cases, E. coli can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney problems. If you experience signs of E. coli, you should visit your healthcare provider.