Salmonella Outbreak Traced To Packaged Greens

An outbreak of salmonella traced to pre-packaged salad from a producer in Illinois has sickened four people in Wisconsin and five in Illinois, state health officials reported Friday.

One person has been hospitalized due to the food-borne bacterial illness, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

In a press release, DHS said the outbreak — which started between June 10 and June 15 — had been traced to salad greens from BrightFarms Inc. in Rochelle, Ill. The federal Food and Drug Administration said Friday that BrightFarms had issued a voluntary recall for nine of its branded products, all of them grown at the company’s greenhouse facilities in Rochelle. The products are distributed to retailers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana.

“At this time, DHS urges consumers not to purchase, eat, or serve BrightFarms branded pre-packaged salad greens,” stated DHS Communicable Diseases Supervisor Ryan Wozniak. “Consumers and food service establishments who have BrightFarms salad greens with any ‘best-by’ date should not eat, serve or sell any of the recalled products.”

According to the FDA, Wisconsin retailers that sold the recalled products were Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market, Copps, Tadych’s and some Walmart stores. The agency said other retailers might also have carried the items.

The salad greens are packaged in disposable plastic containers and carry a label that says “fresh from Rochelle, Ill.,” according to DHS. Health officials are advising consumers to check their refrigerators for leftover Bright Farms products and throw them away. Consumers should clean produce drawers and refrigerator surfaces thoroughly after disposing of the products, DHS stated.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, abdominal pains, fever and vomiting starting six hours after eating contaminated foods. Symptoms can last for several days. Patients might require extra fluids to prevent dehydration, according to DHS, but most people recover from salmonellosis on their own.

Health officials are encouraging consumers who experience symptoms to contact their health care providers as well as their local health department.

Health officials link salmonella outbreak to packaged greens was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.