The list of contaminated foods U.S. health officials are warning people to avoid seems to be growing. The following list of foods are thought to be causing ongoing unrelated outbreaks of intestinal infections caused by bacteria, viruses and even parasites
Pasta salad
Hy-Vee, a Midwestern grocery store chain, has recalled a pasta salad that might be linked to at least 20 people getting sick from salmonella. The states involved are: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Wisconsin.
Symptoms of salmonella begin 12 to 72 hours after a person is infected and include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping. Those who are very young, who are very old or who have compromised immune systems are most at risk for complications and severe cases of illness.
Raw turkey
Salmonella is the culprit in 90 illnesses linked to raw turkey products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Agriculture.
The illnesses have been reported in 26 states since November. t
Cut melon
The US Food and Drug Administration is warning people in 23 states that the fruit may be contaminated with salmonella.
The outbreak has affected 60 people mostly in five Midwestern states, with about half of them hospitalized.
Cut watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe as well as fruit salads containing these melons have been recalled in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The fruits were sold in stores such as Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, Sprouts Farmers Market, Costco and Whole Foods/Amazon.
Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal
The warning on this cereal is due to an outbreak of salmonella that has left 100 people sick in 33 states.
The cereal was recalled June 14, but one month later, another warning not to eat the cereal was issued after the FDA said it was aware that it was still available.
“Retailers cannot legally offer the cereal for sale and consumers should not purchase Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal,” the agency said.
Swiss rolls
Flowers Foods announced a recall of Swiss rolls because they may be contaminated with salmonella. There have been no reports of illness from Swiss rolls, according to the company.
Ritz Cracker Sandwiches
Mondelēz Global LLC announced a voluntary recall of certain Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and other Ritz Bits products because they contain whey powder that has been recalled for possible salmonella contamination.
The voluntary recall is a precaution, as no complaints of illness have been reported, the company said.
McDonald’s salads
As a precaution, McDonald’s has stopped selling salads in 3,000 locations in 14 states to try to contain an outbreak of cyclospora illness.
The states no longer selling these salads are Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri.
There have been 163 cases have been confirmed in 10 states since May 1, according to the CDC.
Vegetable trays
The FDA is investigating at least 237 cases of cyclospora illnesses linked to recalled Del Monte Fresh vegetable trays. The trays contained broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and dill dip, and they were sold in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.
“FDA has not identified which of the ingredients is the vehicle for this outbreak; each component of these vegetable trays is under consideration,” the agency said.
Imported crab meat
Avoid eating fresh crab meat from Venezuela. That’s the advice from the FDA due to an outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that started in April. In all, 12 illnesses have been reported in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.
“This product is commonly found in plastic tubs and may be labeled as ‘pre-cooked,’ ” the FDA said.
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