Whole Foods Recalls Baby Spinach and Prepared Foods for Salmonella Contamination

Whole Foods Market is issuing a recall for prepared foods made with baby spinach and mesclun from New York-based Satur Farms due to potential salmonella contamination. According to a Fortune.com news report, the recall involves prepared foods such as salads, pizza, sandwiches and wraps, packed with a Whole Foods label across eight states. The affected products have sell-by dates between Jan. 24 and Jan. 27.

Recall Details

In an FDA bulletin, Whole Foods also advised that consumers who purchased items containing baby spinach from salad bars or hot bars at Whole Food Market locations in these states should discard items purchased through Jan. 23. This recall follows Satur Farms’ announcement that it was recalling the baby spinach and mesclun products that could potentially be contaminated with salmonella after sampling by state agriculture departments in Florida and New York tested positive.

The food producer said so far no illnesses have been reported from the greens. Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, said customers who purchased the recalled products could bring their receipts to stores for a full refund.

Salmonella Statistics and Symptoms

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses per year, along with 23,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths. Most people develop symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within one to three days of infection, with most people recovering within a week without treatment. However, in some people, diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems tend to be the most severely affected.

Understanding Your Rights

If you have been the victim of food poisoning, it is important that you make sure the suspect food is isolated and preserved for later testing at a lab for pathogens. Save any receipts you may have received for purchasing the products. Report your illness to the local health care agency. All of these actions help create a record showing how you suffered the food-borne illness and what type of treatment you received.

If you have suffered food poisoning as a result of contaminated products, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries, damages and losses. Victims of food poisoning may be able to seek compensation from several responsible parties for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, diagnostic tests, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Victims would also be well advised to contact an experienced food poisoning lawyer who will fight for their rights and hold the negligent parties accountable.

Source: http://fortune.com/2019/01/25/whole-foods-recalls-baby-spinach-salmonella-contamination/