Safeway Fresh Foods recalled its 32-ounce diced organic butternut squash, which was sold exclusively at Costco, due to a potential E. coli contamination on Monday.
The company detected E. coli O45 in routine testing, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recall is effective for packages of the squash sold between Sept. 7 and Sept. 15 with a use-by date of Sept. 19, almost a week before the recall was issued.
The product was sold in Costco stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. No illnesses were reported to the company.
What should you do with the recalled squash?
The use-by date for the recalled butternut squash has already passed, but if consumers still have the product in their fridge, the FDA warns them not to eat it.
The product can be returned to Costco. The company’s FDA announcement does not mention a refund for the product.
What is E. coli O45?
E. coli O45 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. These bacteria strains cause diarrhea, more specifically bloody diarrhea, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
What can E. coli O45 cause?
Symptoms don’t normally manifest until three to four days after being exposed to the E. coli bacterium. Some people may be asymptomatic, but those who exhibit symptoms could experience the following, according to Iowa’s Health and Human Services:
- Diarrhea.
- Abdominal cramps.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Chills.
Children under 5 years old and the elderly are at an increased risk to experience complications from exposure.
In more severe cases, E. coli O45 can cause the kidney disease hemolytic uremic syndrome. Hemolytic uremic syndrome can damage the kidneys and even lead to life-threatening kidney failure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome also damages blood vessels and breaks down red blood cells.
How does E. coli contaminate raw vegetables?
The E. coli O45 bacterium lives in animal and human intestines like other E. coli strains. It can then be spread through contaminated feces, which can come into contact with crops that humans consume. It can also be spread through direct contact.
“Sometimes the contact is pretty obvious (working with cows at a dairy or changing diapers, for example), but sometimes it is not (like eating an undercooked hamburger or a contaminated piece of lettuce). People have gotten infected by swallowing lake water while swimming, touching the environment in petting zoos and other animal exhibits, and by eating food prepared by people who did not wash their hands well after using the toilet. Almost everyone has some risk of infection,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.