Raw Milk – Organic Pastures Dairy had its raw milk products recalled and quarantined after E. coli sent three children to hospitals. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced the recall and quarantine on Tuesday. Interviews with the families of five children infected with the strain between August and October indicated the only common food exposure was to Organic Pastures raw milk, state officials said.
The sickened children are residents of Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento and San Diego counties.
Three of the children were hospitalized with a condition that may lead to kidney failure. State officials did not indicate whether any of them remained hospitalized and did not release their current condition. No deaths have been associated with the recall.
It’s the second time the Fresno County dairy has been the subject of a recall. In 2006, Organic Pastures was ordered to stop selling unpasteurized milk products after four children were sickened with E. coli and three were hospitalized.
Bagged Salad – California salad company Ready Pac Foods has recalled more than 5,000 cases of bagged salad with romaine lettuce because of E. coli contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The salads were distributed to 15 Western states.
The company, based in Irwindale (Los Angeles County), issued the recall after a random government test showed that lettuce had been contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
The salads, branded as Ready Pac, Dining In, Raley’s, Trader Joe’s or Safeway lettuce, have a sell-by date of Nov. 18. The company recalled 5,379 cases. A complete list of recalled products can be found at sfg.ly/sBGzco.
E. coli is usually caused by fecal contamination and can cause food poisoning. No illnesses have been reported because of the Ready Pac contamination, the FDA said.
St. Louis – New numbers from the St. Louis Department of Health:
Number of Missourians confirmed to have E. coli connected to the St. Louis investigation: 35
Number of food samples, connected to the St. Louis outbreak, tested to date: 55
Number of food samples confirmed to have E. coli: 0