Cyclospore is a microscopic parasite that affects the intestinal tract and causes diarrhea that can last for more than a month. Symptoms generally appear about a week after consuming contaminated food or water.
The recalled products were made at Fresh Express’ production facility in Streamwood, Illinois.
The salads contained iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots and include products made by Fresh Express for retail store brands sold at ALDI, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, ShopRite, and Walmart, according to the FDA.
“Investigators are continuing to investigate whether other retail brands may be affected,” he said.
The cases were reported between May and this month in nearly a dozen states. They were in Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Federal officials urge people not to eat the salads while working with companies to find out where the products originated.
Unlike other foodborne illnesses, Cyclospora does not have a DNA fingerprint technology that can determine where the product comes from. The FDA’s epidemiological investigation helped determine that the product was sold at various stores, he said.
At ALDI, the product is called Little Salad Bar. At Hy-Vee, it’s all store-brand garden salad products. At Jewel-Osco, the salad was sold under the Signature Farms name, and at Walmart it was sold as the Marketside Classic Iceberg Salad brand.
The recalled products were sold in at least 30 states. They include Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma , Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
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