A salmonella outbreak has led Trader Joe's to recall packets of herbs sold across the country, with one person reportedly hospitalized after an infection.
Organic basil, sourced from Florida company Infinite Herbs, has been taken off the shelves in Trader Joe's outlets in 29 states, with the store issuing a recall to customers who had already purchased the herbs.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), found the herbs were linked to a salmonella outbreak.
Newsweek approached Infinite Herbs and Trader Joe's for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
The recall invites customers who purchased the 2.5-ounce packets of basil between February 1 and April 6 to discard the product or return it to their local store for a full refund.
Along with Washington D.C., the 29 states where the contaminated herbs were distributed include: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne illnesses, causing about 1.35 million infections and 26,500 hospitalizations each year in the U.S., as reported by the CDC. The infection can be extremely serious and is responsible for some 420 deaths each year in the country.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps—usually beginning six hours to six days after infection and lasts for four to seven days. Most people recover without specific treatment.
The CDC said in a statement posted to its website on Wednesday: "Epidemiologic and traceback data show that Infinite Herbs brand organic basil may be contaminated with Salmonella and be making people sick.
"A total of 12 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from seven states," it said, adding, "of 11 people with information available, one person has been hospitalized.
"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella."
Trader Joe's also released a statement on its website warning customers that Infinite Herbs Organic Basil "may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella".
"If you purchased the product during this date range, please discard it or return it to any Trader Joe's for a full refund."
This chart, provided by Statista, shows the most common causes of food recalls in the U.S. in 2023.
Infinite Herbs, which produces the basil, is run out of Doral, Florida.
According to the company's website, it produces "some of the finest culinary herbs and specialties".
"We comply with the most rigorous growing standards throughout the growing, harvesting, and shipping process backed by all the certifications we carry,"
Anyone with further questions is asked to contact Trader Joe's Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817 or send an email.
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