The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising residents not to consume certain organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, as they may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. These carrots should be out of grocery stores but may still be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.
365, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, Simple Truth, and Trader Joe’s sold potentially contaminated carrots. The organic whole carrots did not have a best-if-used-by date but were available for purchase between August 14 and October 23, 2024. The organic baby carrots had best-before dates from September 11 to November 12, 2024.
According to the RIDOH, the carrots were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide.
E. coli O121:H19 can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. Infection can lead to conditions such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, causing severe bloody diarrhea, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurological problems. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 can range from 24 hours to 10 days, with an average of 3 to 4 days.
This recall follows a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linking these products to a nationwide outbreak that has already caused 39 illnesses and one death. No illnesses have been reported in Rhode Island.
Consumers who have purchased these products should discard them immediately and sanitize any surfaces they may have come into contact with. Individuals who are concerned about potential illness should contact their healthcare provider.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
