welcom to America today with a new article about Trader Joe’s basil recall: Maps show states affected by salmonella, recalled product
Last year, Trader Joe’s had a bad run of recalls. Now, the FDA and CDC are getting involved after some of the store’s basil is linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak.
The grocery store chain announced Wednesday it is recalling Infinite Herbs Organic Basil sold in 2.5 ounce packages between February 1 and April 6 of this year across 29 states and Washington, D.C.
Twelve people across seven states were infected with salmonella, and one person has been hospitalized, according to the CDC. At least seven cases were linked to the basil.
The FDA also says Miami-based supplier Infinite Herbs may have been involved in getting the basil on shelves.
What to do if you purchased recalled basil
Trader Joe’s acknowledged the voluntarily recall in an announcement, writing that the the basil was removed because it “may have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.”
Product details:
Infinite Herbs Organic Basil
2.5 oz package
Universal Product Code is 8 18042 02147 7
Sold between February 1, 2024 and April 6, 2024
You can either discard the recalled product or take it back to Trader Joe’s for a full refund, the company wrote. Customers with questions about the recall can contact Trader Joe’s (626)-599-3817 or via email.
What are salmonella infection symptoms?
According to the CDC, people with salmonella infections can experience the following symptoms anywhere from six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria:
Diarrhea
Fever
Stomach cramps
Most people recover in four to seven days without treatment, but those with weakened immune systems may require further medical attention.
Trader Joe’s Basil Recall: Impact and Information
Introduction
Basil recall suspensions. The article, “Trader Joe’s Battles Basil Contamination,” discussed some of the impacts of the basil suspension imposed by the FDA. It has been discovered that within a shipment of basil products, a mere 16-ounce bag of basil was found to be contaminated with salmonella. Consequently, in efforts to ensure the safety and health of their consumers, the entire lot of basil products (which equals roughly 18,200 lbs.) coming from Mountain Valley Grower of Denver, Colorado, has been recalled. Trader Joe’s spokesperson Allison Mochizuki has stated to the press that “Trader Joe’s has taken this matter very seriously and has terminated all basil coming from Mountain Valley Growers.
This implies that until Trader Joe’s deems it safe for their consumers, any further basil product shipments will not arrive until the safety and quality of the product can be confirmed. As an extra safety precaution, Trader Joe’s has also made efforts to recall any cans of basil product and pesto that were generated from the suspect lot. Given the potential deadly consequences of salmonella food poisoning, it is clear that Trader Joe’s is not taking any chances with their consumers and is proactively ensuring the safety and health of possibly affected parties. In response to the recall, the FDA has also voiced their concerns with Trader Joe’s efforts to make the issue known and to prevent salmonella contamination. With a situation such as this, both the FDA and Trader Joe’s hope to prevent any persons being affected by the recalling of the basil products.
Throughout the article, it is evident that the initial circumstances of the basil recall are quite unnerving. During some interviews, Mochizuki’s facial and body expressions spoke to the fact that the situation was worse than they had hoped to come across on a product inspection. Planning to have a product you’re looking forward to being great for the summer, only to have it not arrive at all due to food contamination, is upsetting for Mountain Valley Growers, Trader Joe’s, and their respective consumers. However, now that the situation has been discovered, it is hopeful that the swift actions Trader Joe’s and the FDA are taking will prevent any further contamination and possible food poisoning of affected consumers at large.
Background of Trader Joe’s basil recall
In May 2007, the grocery store Trader Joe’s issued a voluntary recall for its store brand of fresh basil, stating that it might be contaminated with salmonella from a Mexican supplier. The basil had been sold at Trader Joe’s stores in at least 15 states and in Illinois at a Dominick’s Finer Foods store.
The wholesaler that supplied the basil, which Trader Joe’s is recalling, also sold other types of fresh basil to four Illinois food retailers. Trader Joe’s pulled the product from its shelves after U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised the company to do so. The FDA issued an import alert on the basil, specifying the product’s origin as Mexico. The FDA also stated that the agricultural practices and the areas where the product was grown pose a risk to the basil.
Five cases of illness caused by the same strain of salmonella, known as Salmonella Litchfield, had been reported to the FDA in connection with basil. Two of these cases involved Trader Joe’s customers who had consumed the basil. One man from the Chicago area consumed the basil from Trader Joe’s and was diagnosed with a confirmed case of Salmonella Litchfield.
On May 18, the FDA and the State of Illinois announced that DNA fingerprinting had confirmed that this strain of salmonella found in a bag of the basil purchased from a Trader Joe’s was indeed the cause of the man’s illness. Trader Joe’s chief executive officer, Daniel Bane, said the company is working closely with the FDA and the supplier to resolve this issue.Trader Joe’s basil recall: Maps show states affected by salmonella, recalled product.
Importance of addressing salmonella contamination
From the patient’s standpoint, there are numerous reasons why a life-threatening form of food poisoning is more severe for foodborne illness from other microorganisms. One Yakima, WA couple shared their experience with a recent Salmonella illness in an interview with the CDC. The exposure vehicle for their invasive infection was basil-containing pesto sauce. For unknown reasons, the wife quickly recovered after a brief, mild illness.
In contrast, the pathogen was transmitted to her husband who developed severe, somewhat bloody diarrhea. This prompted a visit to a local emergency room where a stool culture was obtained. The test confirmed that he was culture positive for Salmonella. He continued to suffer worsening diarrheal illness and became severely dehydrated needing IV therapy at the height of his illness. On the seventh day of illness, the man experienced severe, steady left-sided abdominal pain.
The following day he presented to a hospital and was admitted. An MRI showed a partial thickness inflammation of the wall of the colon. For several days he was not able to eat and was on a clear liquid diet and treated with IV fluids and antibiotics, and the nausea and diarrhea did not resolve until nearly 4 weeks after it began.
This was a very severe and invasive infection. Given these medical findings, it is clear why consumers in general would be concerned about acquiring Salmonella from food, and why this pathogen often leads to expensive medical care, especially for the vulnerable populations. Failure of the pathogen to resolve in the intestinal tract could also result in bacteremia, an infection of the blood, in which patients will require further hospital treatment and intravenous antibiotics.
It is also likely that there was an economic burden to the patient’s employer, as the man was unable to work for 2 months and cans of these pathogen-containing products were/are still in consumers’ homes. This was just one of many humbling stories of Salmonella and for a food product—the devastating 2008-2009 nationwide outbreak involving peanut butter products solidified consumer concern.