Trader Joe’s is a grocery store that purposely only carriers a limited amount of products to give its shoppers an intimate shopping experience. They are usually located in quaint strip malls or in small stores that do not overwhelm their shoppers with hundreds of thousands of choices.  26 people were reported ill after eating products created by Glass Onion Catering. This is a company based in Richmond, California. Approximately 182,00 pounds of cold wraps and salads were recalled from stores around the country.

The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service stated that the catering company would formally recall their products where ham and chicken are the main ingredients. There is a large possibility that these products are contaminated with E.coli. The Food Safety and Inspection Service was first alerted of a problem of an individual becoming ill on October 29th. This notification led to reaching out to the Food and Drug Administration the following week on November 6th.

The California Department of Public Health, Arizona Department of Health Services, and Washington State Department of Health have taken action to control the outbreak due to reports of illness connected to the E.coli within the grilled chicken salads and wraps.

The chicken salad has been tested to identify  the pattern of E.coli 0157:H7 PFGE. A thorough investigation wad done to confirm that all clues led back to Glass Onion Catering who provided the for Trader Joes. The symptoms of this bacterium are dehydration, diarrhea that may be bloody, and painful abdominal cramps. These cramps and other symptoms could show up from 48 hours to 8 full days after being exposed. Healthy people may get over this illness within 7 days. It is possible that some of the exposed people could experience hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is kidney failure. Kidney problems can occur mainly with children younger than 5 and adults that are advanced in age.

RECALL on Trader Joe’s pre-made salads and wraps in the South and Southwest #DangerZone pic.twitter.com/0Aba3abwMv

— UL Health Promotion (@HealthyCards) November 18, 2013

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