Del Monte recalls vegetable trays as cyclospora cases grow

Del Monte Fresh Produce has recalled vegetable trays at retail stores in six states, a week after health officials first alerted consumers the products might be contaminated with cyclospora parasites.

In the week following a June 8 warning from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the number of cases in Wisconsin and Minnesota went from 11 to at least 70, according news releases from the Wisconsin department and the Minnesota Department of Health. According to a June 15 update from the Wisconsin agency, “Dozens of cases are being reported daily and interviews with recently reported patients may not yet be completed.”

The Food and Drug Administration reports it’s investigating 78 cases, with illnesses linked to the outbreak also in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.

Kwik Trip convenience stores pulled the vegetable trays from stores in early June after the state departments of health notified the retailer of the link between the cyclospora and the Del Monte vegetable trays from Kwik Trip.

A week later, Del Monte recalled vegetable trays from these retailers as well: Kwik Star, Demond's, Sentry, Potash, Meehan's, Country Market, Food Max Supermarket and Peapod in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

The recalled products are 6- and 12-ounce vegetable trays containing broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and a dill dip with Universal Product Codes of 7 1752472515 2 and 7 1752472518 9, respectively. A 28-ounce tray including those items and celery sticks has a UPC of 7 1752478604 3. All vegetable trays have a “best by” date of June 17 or earlier.

The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating another cyclospora outbreak, involving 17 people who became ill after eating at Sonora Grill in Minneapolis. The two outbreaks are not related, however, according to the department.