The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising consumers that Grimmway Farms has issued a recall of select organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots. These carrots should no longer be in grocery stores, but may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.
These carrots were sold under many brand names, including 365, Marketside, Nature's Promise, Simple Truth, and Trader Joe's. More information about the recalled products is available in the recall notice (see link below).
The recalled products were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide. The organic whole carrots did not have a best-if-used-by date printed on the bag, but were available for purchase at retail stores from August 14 through October 23, 2024. The organic baby carrots had best-if-used-by-dates ranging from September 11 through November 12, 2024.
These products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. This is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with a weakened immune system. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as 10 days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days.
The company is recalling these carrots after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that these products may be associated with an outbreak. To date, 39 illnesses and one death have been associated with an E. coli O121:H19 outbreak. (No illnesses have been identified in Rhode Island.)
If you have these products in your home, do not eat or use them. Throw them away, and clean and sanitize surfaces they touched. Consumers concerned about an illness should contact a health professional.