Grimmway Farms announced the addition of four bag sizes of organic whole carrots to its November 16, 2024, recall. All dates associated with the recall remain unchanged.
These products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. For more information on E. coli 0121:H19 and to read the initial recall notice, please visit Grimmway’s websiteExternal Link Disclaimer.
“As a part of our ongoing review of internal processes associated with the voluntary recall, we determined that four bag sizes needed to be added to our initial recall announcement,” said Jeff Huckaby, President & CEO of Grimmway Farms. “We then began the process to notify the FDA and update the consumer. The health of our consumers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we will not rest until this issue is fully resolved.”
Retailers who received the affected product were appropriately notified of all correct bag sizes when the company initiated the recall on November 16.
The recalled carrots should not be available for purchase in stores but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. The table below shows the additional bag sizes in bold and underlined font.
| Grimmway Farms Firm-Initiated Recall The bag sizes underlined and bolded below reflect additions to the existing November 16, 2024 voluntary recall | ||
| Organic WHOLE Carrots available for purchase at retail from August 14 through October 23, 2024 | ||
| Label | Bag Sizes | These organic whole carrots were available for purchase at retail stores from August 14 through October 23, 2024. No best-if-used-by-dates are on the bags of organic whole carrots. |
| Bunny Luv | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 10lb, 25lb, 50lb | |
| Cal-Organic | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 6lb, 10lb,15lb, 25lb, 50lb | |
| Good & Gather | 1lb, 2lb | |
E.coli O121:H19 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 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 incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as ten days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days.
Consumers: The recalled carrots should no longer be available for purchase but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who purchased carrots specified in the original recall noticeExternal Link Disclaimer (and in the table above) who still have them in their refrigerator or freezer should not consume them; the carrots should be destroyed or discarded so they cannot be consumed. 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 medical professional.
As of November 17, 2024, 39 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from 18 states according to the CDC:
Wyoming 1, Washington 8, Virginia 1, Texas 1, South Carolina 2, Pennsylvania 1, Oregon 3, Ohio 1, North Carolina 1, New York 5, New Jersey 2, Missouri 1, Minnesota 5, Michigan 1, Massachusetts 1, Colorado 1, California 3, Arkansas .
Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 6, 2024 to October 28, 2024. Of 38 people with information available, 15 have been hospitalized and none developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. One death has been reported from California.
CDC and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 infections linked to multiple brands of recalled organic whole bagged carrots and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms. Carrots on store shelves right now are likely not affected but may be in people’s homes.
The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Outbreak sub-cluster: 35 Isolates Distance between selected isolates: minimum = 0 SNPs, maximum = 17 SNPs, average = 2 SNPs (34 isolates, without the bottom one that is on its own branch, minimum = 0 SNPs, maximum = 6 SNPs, average = 2 SNPs) WGS date range: 2024-10-04 to 2024-11-12.
William “Bill” Marler has been a food safety lawyer and advocate since the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box E. coli Outbreak which was chronicled in the book, “Poisoned” and in the recent Emmy Award winning Netflix documentary by the same name. Bill work has been profiled in the New Yorker, “A Bug in the System;” the Seattle Times, “30 years after the deadly E. coli outbreak, A Seattle attorney still fights for food safety;” the Washington Post, “He helped make burgers safer, Now he is fighting food poisoning again;” and several others.
Dozens of times a year Bill speaks to industry and government throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, China and Australia on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses. He is also a frequent commentator on food litigation and food safety on Marler Blog. Bill is also the publisher of Food Safety News.
E. coli: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $900 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products. The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s. We have proudly represented such victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.
If you or a family member became ill with an E. coli infection or HUS after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark E. coli attorneys for a free case evaluation.
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