Nearly 100K pounds of salad items recalled because of possible E. coli contamination

WASHINGTON - Nearly 100,000 pounds of salad products have been recalled Thursday after some of the lettuce tested positive for E. coli.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall, which is being done by the New Jersey-based company Missa Bay, LLC.

Missa Bay’s salad products that contain meat or poultry produced between Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 are the affected items. About 97,272 pounds of salad bowls that may be contaminated have the establishment number "EST. 18502B" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The Maryland Department of Health collected an unopened package of Ready Pac Bistro Chicken Raised Without Antibiotics Caesar Salad as part of a foodborne illness investigation. The individual ingredients were tested and the salad tested positive for E. coli. All products from the same lettuce lot are part of the recall, according to USDA FSIS.

All of the recalled products bearing the specific establishment number were shipped to distribution centers in the following states:

Alabama
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Virginia
Wisconsin

Most people who get sick from the tainted lettuce will develop diarrhea and vomiting. People recover within a week usually, but some may develop a more severe infection. Antibiotics are not often recommended, according to the USDA, and medical care consists of constant hydration and rest.

A list of all the recalled items is available at fsis.usda.gov. Many of Missa Bay's brands are sold at Walmart, Target, Aldi and Sam's Club, among other retailers.

The USDA suggests that anyone who has the contaminated bowls either throw it away or take it back to the store they purchased it from. The agency also believes more bowls may be recalled as the investigation continues.