One Dead, Dozens Sickened, by E. Coli Outbreak from Carrots

One person has died, and dozens more have been sickened by an E. Coli outbreak linked to carrots.

The Food and Drug Administration has warned people not to eat or serve multiple brands of recalled bagged organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms.

So far, 39 illnesses have been reported, 15 hospitalizations, and one death.

States with outbreak cases include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming — though the carrots are distributed nationwide.

Recalled carrots include Cal-Organic, Bunny Luv, Nature’s Promise, O Organics, Simple Truth, and store brands from Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Wegmans, Target, Kroger, and Raley’s. The FDA’s website has a complete list of the recalled vegetables.

The retail-packaged organic whole carrots were in stores for purchase from August 14 through October 23, 2024. The “best by” dates range from September 11 through November 12, 2024.

“Although product is likely no longer on the market, carrots can last a long time when refrigerated or frozen,” the FDA said. “Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers and discard these recalled products. Distributors and retailers that may have received recalled bagged organic whole and baby carrots should follow the recommendations above and contact their customers.”

According to the FDA website, symptoms of E. coli include “severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. Symptoms begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later. ”

“The severity or presence of certain symptoms may depend on the type of pathogenic E. coli that is causing the infection. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.”

The FDA recommends checking your refrigerators and freezers and not eat recalled bagged whole or baby carrots.

“If you have these products in your home, do not eat or use them, throw them away, and clean and sanitize surfaces they touched,” the warning states. “If you purchased organic whole or baby carrots and stored them without the original packaging and don’t know what brand they are, you should not eat them and should throw them away.”