Politics & Government

Farm Rich Expands Recall As CDC Reports 24 E. Coli Cases

The voluntary recall has been expanded to include all products from its Waycross, Ga. plant due to possible E.Coli contamination. No deaths have been reported, but seven people have been hospitalized.

Due to possible contamination with Escherichia coli O121 bacteria (“E. Coli O121”), Rich Products Corporation of Buffalo, NY, has expanded its voluntary recall to include all products from its Waycross plant.

According to a press release posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, the recall has been expanded to include all products produced at its Waycross, Georgia plant with “Best By” dates ranging from Jan. 1, 2013 to Sept. 29, 2014. This was due to possible contamination with Escherichia coli O121 bacteria (“E. coli O121”). The expanded recall is in addition to products recalled on March 28, 2013.

Rich Products press release states that the Center for Disease Control has reported 24 cases of E. coli 0121 in 15 states. It gives the following symptoms of the illness:

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Mild to severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Blood is often seen in the stool. Usually little or no fever is present. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within 5-10 days, certain individuals can develop a complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which can cause the kidneys to fail. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition could lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Rich Products reported that it is unaware of any illnesses associated with the products included in the expanded recall.

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“When it became apparent to us that, despite the expertise of the USDA, the FDA, the scientific community and our own experts, identification of a specific cause was not going to be a simple or short process, we decided to act proactively to expand the recall,” said Bill Gisel, Rich’s president and chief executive officer.

Gisel added that Rich’s will continue to cooperate fully with federal, state and local agencies investigating this situation.

Click here to get a full list of the items affected by the expanded recall. Also click on the following link for items included on the initial recall.

RECALL: Farm Rich Products Due to Possible E. Coli Contaminations

Consumers who have purchased these Farm Rich products and have any questions should contact Farm Rich Consumer Relations at 1-888-220-5955 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, or visit the website at farmrich.com.


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