OTTAWA, July 14, 2010 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Fresh Express brand Romaine-based Salads described below because these products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
This CFIA alert has been initiated in response to a recall by the manufacturer, Fresh Express Incorporated, of Salinas, California in the United States.
The following Fresh Express brand Romaine-based Salads which have Best Before dates of July 9 through July 12 and an "S" in the product code are affected by this alert:
The Use-By Date is found in the upper right hand corner of the package with the product code immediately underneath.
These products have been distributed in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec and may have been distributed nationally.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria my cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
The CFIA will be working with Canadian importers to remove all of the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:
Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472, or
CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on E. coli O157:H7, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/ecolie.shtml
For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.
To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.
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Media enquiries:
CFIA Media Relations
613-773-6600
