Organic Carrots Sold at Trader Joe’s, Publix, Kroger, & More Recalled for Deadly E. Coli Outbreak

Organic carrots sold at Trader Joe’s, Publix, Kroger, and other retail stores have been recalled due to their role in an E. coli outbreak that has already killed one person and sickened at least 39 others.

The FDA recall was issued on Saturday, Nov. 16. Certain organic baby carrots and whole carrots that should no longer be found in supermarkets but might still be in customers’ freezers or refrigerators have been recalled by Grimmway Farms. Direct shipments of the recalled goods were made to retail distribution hubs in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.

The bagged organic carrots sold under various brand names from retailers like Trader Joe’s, Publix, Kroger, Target, Wegmans, Whole Foods, and more have been affected by the recall, and consumers are urged to check the full list of brands to ensure their organic carrots haven’t been included.

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“Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a 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 government agency warned.

The FDA also shared that the organic carrots were linked to an E. coli outbreak by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To date, one person has died, and 39 people have been sickened.

Customers who bought organic whole carrots between Aug. 14 and Oct. 23 were advised not to eat them, according to Grimmway Farms. Additionally, you should discard organic baby carrots that have best-if-used-by dates between Sept. 11 and Nov. 12.

“If you have these [organic carrots] 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 medical professional,” the company said to The New York Post.

Organic Carrots Are the Latest Food Affected by E. Coli

The news of the E. coli outbreak in organic carrots follows the recent outbreak in McDonald’s onions. The fast-food giant is now spending $100 million to bring customers back into its restaurants following the outbreak.

Many McDonald’s locations removed Quarter Pounders from their menus in the early stages of the E. coli outbreak. The fast-food chain secured a new supplier for the 900 outlets that temporarily stopped serving the burgers with onions. For the past week, McDonald’s has returned to serving Quarter Pounders with sliced onions nationwide.

Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC’s parent company, Yum! Brands, also acknowledged that they had eliminated fresh onions from their restaurants “out of an abundance of caution.” The Colorado restaurant chain Illegal Pete’s also temporarily removed onions from its menus due to the recall and worries about the E. coli outbreak.