Recall alert: Bagged salad recall expanded to include Walmart products amid Cyclospora outbreak

A recall of bagged salads believed to be linked to an intestinal parasite outbreak across multiple states has been expanded to include products sold at some Walmart locations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed Friday that the number of suspected cases has more than doubled from initial reports to 206 cases, requiring 23 hospitalizations.

Both the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised consumers to avoid select salads sold at Aldi, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco and now Walmart.

The Walmart products affected by the recall include all Marketside Classic Iceberg Salad sold in 12- and 24-ounce packages with best-if-used-by dates of May 19 and July 4. The potentially tainted salad were distributed to select stores between June 1 and June 21 in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.

According to the FDA, all of the recalled salads were manufactured by a Fresh Express production facility in Streamwood, Illinois, and the company issued its own voluntary recall Saturday for dozens of branded and private-label salad items produced at the facility that “contain iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and/or carrot ingredients.”

The Fresh Express recall includes salads with a product code Z178 or a lower number, and the recalled products were distributed to select retail stores between June 6 and 26 in 31 states.

Earlier Saturday, Hy-Vee announced it was recalling an additional 12 salads across its eight-state region due to the potential that they may be contaminated with Cyclospora.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, people become infected with Cyclospora by consuming food or water contaminated with human feces that contain the parasite. Symptoms, the most common of which are bouts of watery diarrhea, typically appear within one week of exposure and can also include loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, nausea, fatigue and low-grade fever.

Cyclospora infections can be treated with antibiotics, the health department confirmed.

Cox Media Group