Grimmway Farms Expands Recall to Include Additional Bag Sizes Due to Potential E. coli Contamination

Summary

Company Announcement

Grimmway Farms announced the addition of four bag sizes of organic whole carrots to its November 16, 2024, recall. All dates associated with the recall remain unchanged.

These products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. For more information on E. coli 0121:H19 and to read the initial recall notice, please visit Grimmway’s website.

“As a part of our ongoing review of internal processes associated with the voluntary recall, we determined that four bag sizes needed to be added to our initial recall announcement,” said Jeff Huckaby, President & CEO of Grimmway Farms. “We then began the process to notify the FDA and update the consumer. The health of our consumers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we will not rest until this issue is fully resolved.”

Retailers who received the affected product were appropriately notified of all correct bag sizes when the company initiated the recall on November 16.

The recalled carrots should not be available for purchase in stores but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. The table below shows the additional bag sizes in bold and underlined font.

E.coli O121:H19 is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with a weakened immune system. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as ten days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days.

Consumers: The recalled carrots should no longer be available for purchase but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who purchased carrots specified in the original recall notice (and in the table above) who still have them in their refrigerator or freezer should not consume them; the carrots should be destroyed or discarded so they cannot be consumed. If you have these products in your home, do not eat or use them, throw them away, and clean and sanitize surfaces they touched. Consumers concerned about an illness should contact a medical professional.

“We would also like to apologize to consumers who have been unable to reach our company due to technical issues and high call volume,” stated Huckaby. “We have been working around the clock with our third-party vendors to address these challenges and have made a direct telephone number available to consumers (1-866- 912-9552).”

Consumers with questions or products in their possession may contact our customer services desk at 1-866-912- 9552, Sun-Sat, 8 am – 8 pm ET or visit www.grimmway.com.

Original Press Release

FDA Advisory

CDC Advisory