Dole had to warn consumers about two products, the first being their Dole Organic Romaine Hearts, which come three in a bag. A specific strain of E. coli—pathogenic non-O157 E.coli STEC—showed up in a routine sample at a retail store by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The romaine, along with Dole’s other recalled lettuce you’ll read about next, was distributed in Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Virginia. “There is no indication at this time that this positive result is related to any illnesses nor consumer complaints,” the FDA says in their report of the recalled lettuce, which is marked with the UPC 0-71430-90061-1 and harvested-on dates of Oct. 23 and Oct. 26. And for another food recall that should be on your radar, check out If You Have This Milk in Your Fridge, You Should Get Rid of It Now. The other Dole lettuce recall is among the 12 oz. bags of Wild Harvest Organic Romaine Hearts with the UPC 7-11535-50201-2 and harvested-on dates of Oct. 23 and Oct. 26. If you’re looking at your bag, the UPC code is on the bottom right back corner and the harvested-on sticker is on the upper right front corner.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb While both Dole lettuces are unlikely to still be on the shelves of grocery stores at this point, you should check your refrigerator. If you find any of the affected batches, the FDA warns that you “should not consume it, but rather discard it.” And for more regular updates on all things retail and your safety, sign up for our daily newsletter. Fresh Express had to issue a similar recall notice after a different strain of E. coli—STEC 026—showed up in their Fresh Express Kit Caesar Supreme salad kits. While the FDA’s alert stressed that no illnesses have been reported, and the expired use-by date of Nov. 8 would make them unlikely to be available for purchase now, they may still be in consumers’ homes. “The recall is being executed out of an abundance of caution,” the FDA states. The E. coli showed up during testing of a randomly selected pack of the salad kit. The warning applies to the 10.5 oz kit with product code S296 and UPC 0-7127930104-4. The salad was distributed across 16 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. And for another recall to know about, check out This Common Household Item Has Been Recalled Over Fire Risk. On Nov. 6, the FDA posted a voluntary recall notice from Tanimura & Antle on their bagged single head romaine lettuce. E. coli was discovered among the product during tests in the state of Michigan, and traced to a Walmart in Comstock. The truth is E. coli is a mostly harmless bacteria that lives naturally in our intestines to keep our guts healthy. However, the strain of E. coli found in the Tanimura & Antle lettuce was 0157:H7, one of the most likely strains of the bacteria to produce haemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, a kind of kidney failure that can make the bacteria fatal. According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 to 10 percent of patients with this strain of E. coli go on to develop HUS. The tell-tale symptoms are a decreased frequency of urination, extreme lethargy, and a loss of color in the cheeks and lower eyelids. Children under the age of five, adults over 65, and anyone with a compromised immune system are more likely to develop this kind of serious illness. The FDA advises, “If consumers are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please contact your physician.”
