An E-coli outbreak has prompted the recall of some salad products sold at Wegmans and other stores in the Rochester area.
No cases have been reported in New York state, but authorities are urging people who have bought the products to return them.
Wegmans saidthe recall comes “out of an abundance of caution.” The products covered under the recall there are Ready Pac Bistro Salad Bowls, produced by New Jersey-based Missa Bay.
More than 75,000 pounds of Missa Bay salads have been recalled nationwide. Their “use by” dates have passed, but the federal agriculture department said it’s concerned that some may still be in people’s refrigerators.
This is a Class I recall for agriculture department, meaning it is a "health hazard situation" with "a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."
The FDA said it’s traced the outbreak to romaine lettuce from Salinas, California.
"Consumers should not eat romaine lettuce harvested from Salinas, California," the FDA warned. "If romaine lettuce has 'Salinas' on the label in any form (whether alone or with the name of another location) do not eat it."
The FDA said most E. coli bacteria are harmless and live naturally in the intestines, but eating foods contaminated with some types of the bacteria can cause severe illness. In the worst cases, it can be life-threatening.
Forty people have been sickened across 16 states in the outbreak. No deaths have been reported.
A full list of products covered by the recall is available from the Department of Agriculture here.
