Salads and wraps found in Kroger, Trader Joe's and Walgreens have been recalled and a federal public health alert about them was issued on Monday. The culprit appears to be chopped romaine lettuce.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service advised that certain beef, pork, and poultry salads and wraps containing lettuce could contain cyclosopora, a parasite that causes intestinal illness, CNN reported.
The products are distributed by Indianapolis-based Caito Foods LLC, according to the USDA.
"The problem was discovered when Caito Foods LLC received notification from their lettuce supplier, Fresh Express, that the chopped romaine that is used to manufacture some of their salads and wraps was being recalled," the USDA said.
"FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators and that consumers may be at risk due to the length of the cyclospora incubation period. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase." the statement continued.
USDA released a list of 25 products that fall under the recall and warning.
Last month, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention announced a multistate outbreak of cyclospora.
That came after the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health reported an increase in cases of cyclosporiasis from people who ate salads sold at McDonald’s fast-food chain restaurants, according to the CDC.
The agency said it received reports of people becoming ill who ate McDonald's salads in Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
"McDonald's is cooperating with the investigation and has voluntarily stopped selling salads in more than 3,000 locations in the following 14 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin," the CDC said.
The USDA said the incubation period for cyclospora can range from two to 14 days, which would include the dates of July 25 through Aug. 6, 2018. The agency said illnesses might not have been reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.
The CDC said symptoms of cyclosporiasis may include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue. It may also be accompanied with vomiting and a low-grade fever.
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