Organic carrots recalled after deadly E. coli outbreak: Trader Joe’s, President’s Choice on list of impacted brands

If you have select organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots in your refrigerator or freezer, you’ll want to check them right now to see if they are part of a just-announced recall. The recall includes numerous brands of carrots and was initiated after dozens of people became sick due to E. coli. Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 carrot recall.

Why are the carrots being recalled?

Select varieties of bagged organic carrots are being recalled because they are suspected to be the source of a recent E. coli outbreak. According to a recall notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the carrots’ producer, Grimmway Farms, issued the voluntary recall after it became known that the carrots may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli).

What carrots are being recalled?

The carrots being recalled include both organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots sold under numerous brands, the FDA says.

Bag sizes of the recalled products include 12oz, 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 6lb, 10lb, and 25lb varieties, depending on the specific carrot product being recalled.

For the organic whole carrots being recalled, the notice says their bags have no best-if-used-by-dates printed on them. However, these carrots were available for purchase in stores from August 14 through October 23, 2024.

The organic baby carrots being recalled had best-if-used-by-dates ranging from September 11 through November 12, 2024. (The exact dates differed depending on the recalled product.)

According to an outbreak notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the brands with recalls of the whole organic carrots being recalled are:

• 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Simple Truth, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, and Wholesome Pantry.

And the brands with recalls of the baby organic carrots are:

• 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, and Wholesome Pantry.

What do the recalled products look like?

The recalled carrots come in both whole and baby sizes. The carrots came in bagged packaging. The FDA has sample product images of the recalled carrots in their bagged packaging here.

Grimmway Farms has also published product images here.

Has anyone been harmed by eating the recalled carrots?

Unfortunately, yes. E. coli is a bacterium that can cause severe illness and even death in persons who consume it. The CDC says that 39 cases believed to be linked to the outbreak have occurred so far. Fifteen hospitalizations have been required, and one person has died.

What are the symptoms of an E. coli infection?

According to the CDC, symptoms in people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli usually experience the following:

• severe stomach cramps
• diarrhea (often bloody)
• vomiting

People with weakened immune systems, the young, and the elderly are more vulnerable to fatal E. coli infections.

Where is the E. coli outbreak located?

According to CDC data, the following 18 states have had between one and eight cases of E. coli infections believed to be linked to this outbreak:

• Arkansas: 1
• California: 3
• Colorado: 1
• Massachusetts: 1
• Michigan: 1
• Minnesota: 5
• Missouri: 1
• North Carolina: 1
• New Jersey: 2
• New York: 5
• Ohio: 1
• Oregon: 3
• Pennsylvania: 1
• South Carolina: 2
• Texas: 1
• Virginia: 1
• Washington: 8
• Wyoming: 1

What do I do if I have the recalled carrots?

Do not consume them. The FDA advises everyone to check their refrigerators or freezers for the recalled products. If you find them in your possession, they should be destroyed or discarded so no one can consume them.

The FDA says any surfaces the carrots came into contact with should be sanitized.