Summary
An E. coli outbreak linked to bagged organic carrots from Grimmway Farms has infected 39 people across 18 states, with 15 hospitalized and one death reported.
The recalled carrots, sold under brands like Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, and 365, are no longer in stores, but the CDC urges consumers to check for and discard any remaining stock.
E. coli infections, which cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting, can be life-threatening for vulnerable groups.
Recent outbreaks have also been tied to onions, lettuce, and walnuts.
It’s not surprising to me that people are misinterpreting your comment, which is factual. If you are doing piece work on a large industrial farm and your nearest toilet is a 10 minute walk one way, you are very unlikely to take the time. This is only one vector but it’s an important one.
On most smaller farms a great deal more care is exercised. On my farm we have a very strict hand-washing rule and have only ever paid by the hour. We also don’t have any processing equipment so the produce goes from the field to a carefully cleaned bin and straight to the farmer’s market or consumer directly. No conveyor belts, warehouse storage or re-packaging involved.