Deadly E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Carrots: Is Your Area Affected?

In the wake of the deadly E. coli outbreak linked to onions at McDonald's, another vegetable—carrots—is being pinned as the cause of a separate fatal spread of the illness. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that organic carrots distributed by Grimmway Farms have been linked to an ongoing E. coli outbreak. So far, 39 people have fallen ill after consuming these carrots, and one person has died to date. That prompted a nationwide recall for Grimmway Farms organic whole carrots that were available for purchase at stores between Aug. 14 and Oct. 23 and organic baby carrots sold between Sept. 11 and Nov. 12. 

Organic whole carrots from 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Marketside, Nature's Promise, O-Organics, President's Choice, Simple Truth, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and Wholesome Pantry should be thrown out if they're in your fridge. Similarly, cut and peeled organic baby carrots from these names, as well as Raley's, Sprouts, and the Grimmway Farms brand, should be discarded. 

Residents of 39 states in total were affected by the outbreak. According to the CDC, Washington had the most cases with eight, followed by Minnesota and New York at five each. California and Oregon, meanwhile, had three patients each, while New Jersey and South Carolina each had two. In addition, at least one E. coli case was confirmed in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming. 

If you bought organic carrots from these brands between these affected dates, toss them or return them to the store, even if you don't live in one of the states with currently reported cases.