If you have any pre-washed bagged salads from Fresh Express in your refrigerator, you might want to check the bag's labels. The company issued a voluntary recall of its branded and private-label salad products after more than 200 illnesses in 30 states and Washington D.C. were linked to them.
According to Fresh Express, the bagged salads are potentially contaminated with Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite that can cause diarrhea. Symptoms include: severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, body aches and fatigue. The infection is treated using antibiotics with most people recovering quickly with treatment.
The recalled products are marked with the letter "Z" at the beginning of the product code, which is located on the upper right corner on the front of the package. Products containing iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and/or carrots and display product codes beginning with Z178 or a lower "Z" number have been recalled.
Anyone who discovers they have one of the recalled salads are being urged to discard it immediately and not eat it.
Recalled products were distributed to select retail stores between June 6 and June 26 in various states including, for example, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
A full list of the recalled salads can be found on the Food and Drug Administration's website here.
Consumers who may have a recalled salad should discard it immediately and not eat it. Consumers with questions, or to obtain refunds, may contact the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center toll-free at (800) 242-5472 on Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Photo: Fresh Express