600 People Sickened By Illinois-Made Bagged Salad Products

The recalled products were made in the Fresh Express production facility in Streamwood, Illinois.

It's been a few weeks since we've had a "Another Day, Another Recall" report to pass on to you, and this one features a possible health risk from Cyclospora. Up until I googled cyclospora this morning, I didn't know anything about it.

According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the Cyclospora parasite. A person may become infected after ingesting contaminated food or water. Common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, body aches and fatigue. The infection is treated with antibiotics and most people respond quickly to treatment.

Although it sounds pretty awful, it's not life-threatening in most cases. And, it takes about a week after consumption of either contaminated water or food products to begin experiencing symptoms.

The food products in question here, and subject to a voluntary recall by Fresh Express, are bagged salads. The salads contained iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and carrots and include products made by Fresh Express for retail store brands sold at ALDI, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, ShopRite and Walmart.

641 cases have reported in eleven states, including Illinois and Wisconsin, with 37 hospitalizations and no deaths.

At ALDI, the product goes under the name Little Salad Bar. At Jewel-Osco, the salad was sold under the name Signature Farms, and at Walmart it was Marketside brand Classic Iceberg Salad.

Here's what to look for in your fridge or freezer:

Marketside Classic Iceberg Salad: 12-ounce, UPC Code 6 81131 32894 4
Marketside Classic Iceberg Salad: 24-ounce, UPC Code 6 81131 32895 1
Best-If-Used-By-Date: May 19 through July 04
Distributed to select stores in Iowa, Minnesota Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin

As my old friend Rick was fond of saying when offered a salad: "Salad? That's what food eats!"