Los Angeles Salad voluntarily recalls baby carrots
Los Angeles Salad voluntarily recalls baby carrots
City of Industry, CA-based Los Angeles Salad Co. recently recalled its "Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots" with sell-by date codes of Aug. 8, 2007, and Aug. 16, 2007, because the product may have been contaminated with the bacteria Shigella.
Shigella infection can cause diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, nausea and vomiting. Illness usually lasts from four to 14 days. Infection can occur after eating and drinking food and water that is contaminated with Shigella, and can be passed from person to person.
The recall was initiated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after it was discovered that the same product sold in Canada was contaminated with Shigella. There were four reported incidences of illness in Canada between Aug. 4 and 6. No one was hospitalized, and all persons affected have fully recovered. An ongoing investigation is being conducted to find the source of the problem.
The product was sold in packages with two labels. One is labeled "Los Angeles Salad Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots" distributed by Kroger Co. King Sooper in Colorado, Kroger Co. Ralphs in California, and Publix in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida. All the packages were sold in flexible plastic bags in seven- and eight-ounce sizes with a sell-by date code up to and including Aug. 16.
The second label was "Trader Joe's Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots," distributed by Trader Joe's in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington in seven-ounce flexible plastic bags with a sell-by date code up to and including Aug. 8.
Bob Hana, chief executive officer of Los Angeles Salad Co., told The Produce News Monday, Aug. 27, that all communication has been verbal between the firm and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
"Our commitment is to try to get to the bottom of this," Mr. Hana said, adding that all product is gone from store shelves. The voluntary recall issued by CFIA was based on a statistical profile, he said. The common denominator of the four people who fell ill apparently was that they all had eaten the baby carrots. CFIA sent out samples, and one came back with a positive test for Shigella.
"Our first concern is for the people who were sickened," Mr. Hana said. "We're relieved and glad no one needed hospitalization." Though the investigation has yet to conclusively point the finger at Los Angeles Salad Co.'s product, Mr. Hana added that the company would follow through with the four individuals sickened in Canada.
All four of the people who fell ill in Canada had purchased their carrots from two Costco stores in Alberta and Calgary. The product was sold in Costco stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. The carrot packaging gives instructions for microwaving the product, although the product can be eaten raw.
Los Angeles Salad Co. became aware of a possible problem late in the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 17, when it received a call from CFIA to say that there was a statistical link to the company's carrot product and the four people who had fallen ill. Mr. Hana said that the company asked CFIA if it had product samples, and learned that one additional sample had been sent out for testing. Late in the afternoon of Tuesday, Aug. 21, Los Angeles Salad Co. learned that there was a positive confirmation of Shigella presence in the sample.
"That night [Aug. 21], we got the recall out," Mr. Hana said. The company received "hundreds of calls" to its hotline that Wednesday through Friday, he said. No additional cases of Shigella have been reported.
"Food safety is and has been the cornerstone of our business since we started," Mr. Hana said. The company produces millions of pounds of product per month. If in fact the problem conclusively traces back to Los Angeles Salad Co., the problem would stem "from a very small batch," Mr. Hana said, adding, "It only takes one [batch] to create a problem." The company has a "very sophisticated" traceback system, Mr. Hana noted, and it knows which ranch and batch are in question in this recall. Though there were two different sell-by dates, he said that they are part of the same batch.
The product in question was grown and packed in the northern Baja California area of Mexico. Mr. Hana said that the communication and cooperation with the operation in Mexico have been "excellent."
He feels bad that the Trader Joe's chain was linked to the recall since the product had been gone from the retailer's stores for at least two weeks before the recall. He said that he is sure that no Trader Joe's consumers had purchased any tainted product.
Shigella infection can cause diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, nausea and vomiting. Illness usually lasts from four to 14 days. Infection can occur after eating and drinking food and water that is contaminated with Shigella, and can be passed from person to person.
The recall was initiated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after it was discovered that the same product sold in Canada was contaminated with Shigella. There were four reported incidences of illness in Canada between Aug. 4 and 6. No one was hospitalized, and all persons affected have fully recovered. An ongoing investigation is being conducted to find the source of the problem.
The product was sold in packages with two labels. One is labeled "Los Angeles Salad Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots" distributed by Kroger Co. King Sooper in Colorado, Kroger Co. Ralphs in California, and Publix in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida. All the packages were sold in flexible plastic bags in seven- and eight-ounce sizes with a sell-by date code up to and including Aug. 16.
The second label was "Trader Joe's Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots," distributed by Trader Joe's in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington in seven-ounce flexible plastic bags with a sell-by date code up to and including Aug. 8.
Bob Hana, chief executive officer of Los Angeles Salad Co., told The Produce News Monday, Aug. 27, that all communication has been verbal between the firm and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
"Our commitment is to try to get to the bottom of this," Mr. Hana said, adding that all product is gone from store shelves. The voluntary recall issued by CFIA was based on a statistical profile, he said. The common denominator of the four people who fell ill apparently was that they all had eaten the baby carrots. CFIA sent out samples, and one came back with a positive test for Shigella.
"Our first concern is for the people who were sickened," Mr. Hana said. "We're relieved and glad no one needed hospitalization." Though the investigation has yet to conclusively point the finger at Los Angeles Salad Co.'s product, Mr. Hana added that the company would follow through with the four individuals sickened in Canada.
All four of the people who fell ill in Canada had purchased their carrots from two Costco stores in Alberta and Calgary. The product was sold in Costco stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. The carrot packaging gives instructions for microwaving the product, although the product can be eaten raw.
Los Angeles Salad Co. became aware of a possible problem late in the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 17, when it received a call from CFIA to say that there was a statistical link to the company's carrot product and the four people who had fallen ill. Mr. Hana said that the company asked CFIA if it had product samples, and learned that one additional sample had been sent out for testing. Late in the afternoon of Tuesday, Aug. 21, Los Angeles Salad Co. learned that there was a positive confirmation of Shigella presence in the sample.
"That night [Aug. 21], we got the recall out," Mr. Hana said. The company received "hundreds of calls" to its hotline that Wednesday through Friday, he said. No additional cases of Shigella have been reported.
"Food safety is and has been the cornerstone of our business since we started," Mr. Hana said. The company produces millions of pounds of product per month. If in fact the problem conclusively traces back to Los Angeles Salad Co., the problem would stem "from a very small batch," Mr. Hana said, adding, "It only takes one [batch] to create a problem." The company has a "very sophisticated" traceback system, Mr. Hana noted, and it knows which ranch and batch are in question in this recall. Though there were two different sell-by dates, he said that they are part of the same batch.
The product in question was grown and packed in the northern Baja California area of Mexico. Mr. Hana said that the communication and cooperation with the operation in Mexico have been "excellent."
He feels bad that the Trader Joe's chain was linked to the recall since the product had been gone from the retailer's stores for at least two weeks before the recall. He said that he is sure that no Trader Joe's consumers had purchased any tainted product.
