Multiple salads, wraps sold from Kroger, Trader Joe’s and Walgreens contaminated with fecal parasite
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a health warning, alerting that nearly two dozen types of salads and sandwich wraps may contain lettuce infected with a fecal parasite, according to reports.
The USDA's Food and Safety Inspection Service (FISS) on Monday announced that salad and wrap products containing beef, pork and poultry items sold across the country by retailers like Kroger, Trader Joe’s and Walgreens may have been possibly contaminated with the parasite called cyclospora cayetanenis.
The products were reportedly distributed by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, according to HuffPost.
The federal agency issued the alert shortly after Caito Food’s lettuce supplier, Fresh Express, issued a recall of its chopped romaine, which is generally used in Caito Food’s products.
FSIS released a statement saying the contaminated products were produced between July 15 to 18 and have “Best By,” “Enjoy by,” “Best if Sold By” or “Sell By” dates ranging from July 18 through July 23, 2018. The complete list of products' labels can be seen on the agency's site here.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the particular parasite is spread by food or water which is contaminated with feces.
The parasite can result in intestinal distress and the symptoms could last form a few days to a month and even longer if left untreated. The symptoms can reportedly take a week after consumption of the contaminated product. The condition is generally treated with antibiotics.
The CDC's website states: "Symptoms may seem to go away and then return one or more times (relapse). It’s common to feel very tired."
Reports state that a similar recall was issued last month for salads sold at McDonald's restaurants after at least 163 people fell sick. The health regulation agencies later found out that the salads sold by the eateries were contaminated with cyclosporiasis.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised the consumers to throw away or return the products they have purchased associated with the brands, as a precautionary measure.