By admin
Update: It’s been just a few days since news of a large peach recall affecting ALDI stores emerged, and now the recall has expanded to affect other retailers. The recalled peaches were sold under brand names Wawona, Prima, Organic Marketside, Kroger, and Wegmans at ALDI stores as well as Target, Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Wegmans.
The peaches were recalled because they’re suspected to be contaminated with salmonella and possibly responsible for a recent salmonella outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains. To view the full list of affected stores and products, see the FDA website here. And to learn more about the outbreak and any salmonella symptoms to watch out for, read our original report below.
Original report: August 20, 2020
We’ve already seen recalls on onions and citrus, and now there’s a peach recall affecting ALDI stores in multiple states. The peach recall is in response to a salmonella outbreak that’s caused nearly 70 cases across the country so far.
Public health experts are currently investigating the outbreak and suspect (but so far cannot confirm) that peaches sold at ALDI stores may be the cause. The peaches were from ALDI’s supplier Wawona Packing Company and were sold at stores in 20 states and online via Instacart starting June 1, the company said in a press release.
If you think you may have purchased the recalled peaches, ALDI is urging customers to discard them or return them to the store for a full refund. (To see the full list of affected products, see the full recall announcement here.) Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that “anyone who received Wawona-brand bagged peaches from ALDI use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with the produce to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. This includes cutting boards, slicers, countertops, refrigerators, and storage bins.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the salmonella outbreak this week and says that, so far, 68 people have been sickened and 14 have been hospitalized in nine states. “Many ill people report purchasing bagged peaches sold at certain ALDI stores in several states,” the CDC says. But because the investigation is still ongoing, the CDC may “identify other retailers that might have sold contaminated peaches” in the future.
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract, the Mayo Clinic says. Some people with salmonella don’t have any symptoms. But those who do have symptoms typically notice diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and a fever within three days of eating the contaminated food. For most healthy adults, a salmonella infection is not serious (but it is unpleasant), SELF explained previously. But for those who have weakened immune systems as well as young kids and elderly adults, the infection can become more severe, possibly requiring hospitalization.
If you think you might have salmonella, the CDC recommends talking to your doctor and making a note of everything you ate the week before you got sick. You can also contact your local public health department, which will help them track the outbreak.
