Missa Bay, LLC recalls salad products due to possible E. coli contamination

There is a recall of nearly 100,000 pounds of salad products in over two dozen states on Thursday due to the lettuce having possible contamination with E. coli.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced of the Missa Bay, LLC, salad products containing meat or poultry produced between Oct. 14 to Oct. 16. The products subject to the recall can be found on the following spreadsheet.

The products, which consist of approximately 97,272 pounds of lettuce, subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18502B” inside the USDA mark of inspection. According to the USDA press release, these items were shipped to distribution locations in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.

As part of a foodborne illness outbreak investigation, the Maryland Department of Health collected an unopened package of Ready Pac Bistro Chicken Raised Without Antibiotics Caesar Salad with FSIS EST number 18502B on the label, per the release. The state collected and tested individual ingredients in the salad and the lettuce tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. All products from the same lot of lettuce are included in the recall.

Most people infected with STEC O157:H7 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended, the release states.

Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O157:H7 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators even though they are past their use by dates. According to the USDA release, consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.