The E. coli outbreak linked to bagged spinach and leafy greens produced by State Garden Inc. for Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is apparently over, according to officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
No one died during the outbreak, but 33 people in five states were sickened, with 13 of them admitted to hospitals. The CDC reported the outbreak began Oct. 18 and ran through Nov. 12.
Wegmans, Gates, N.Y., initiated a recall of 31,000 pounds of the bagged organic spinach and spring mix Nov. 1 after health officials linked sick people to the produce from State Garden Inc., Chelsea, Mass.
“Testing conducted by the New York Department Health Wadsworth Center Laboratories isolated the outbreak strain of STECO157:H7 from four leftover packages of Wegmans brand Organic Spinach and Spring Mix blend collected from four ill persons’ homes,” the CDC reported.
The CDC’s final outbreak report, issued Dec. 10, said the Food and Drug Administration was still investigating the outbreak.
“Traceback investigations of pre-packaged leafy greens purchased by ill persons identified State Garden as a common producer, but a source of contamination was not identified. FDA continues its investigation into the source of the contamination,” the CDC report said.
Calls to State Garden on Dec. 18 were not immediately returned. On Nov. 2 the company issued a statement that said “no illnesses have been confirmed as related to State Garden products.”
The Nov. 2 statement from the Chelsea, Mass.-based company also said “State Garden is fully cooperating with all federal and state authorities in connection with this matter. The investigation is currently ongoing and, therefore, there is no further information or details that can be provided at this time.”
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