Pre-Packaged Chicken Salads Recalled Amid E. Coli Outbreak In Eight States

by Gillian Walters

November 21, 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday the recall of 97,000 pounds of salad products processed by Missa Bay, a company based in New Jersey. The items were flagged due to possible E. coli concerns, and the recall affects eight states at the time of this writing.

Products affected by the recall were produced between Oct. 14 and Oct. 16, as the USDA outlined. And the noted items concern salad with meat or poultry, so non-meat eaters can rest easy for this one.

As for the strain of E. coli, it's O157:H7, which can present symptoms of severe bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and little or no fever, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The illness typically lasts 5 to 10 days, with symptoms appearing 2 to 5 days after infection.

Missa Bay did not immediately respond to Romper's request for comment regarding the recall due to possible E. coli risk.

Considering it's not fun to get saddled with a difficult illness right before the holidays, be sure to check your pre-made chicken caesar salads match any of the product labels listed on the USDA's website or the best by date of "best by" date of Oct. 31, 2019. Some examples include:

Salad Singles Chicken Caesar
Salad Kit with Grilled Chicken
Signature Cafe Chicken Caesar Salad
Ready Pac Bistro Chicken Caesar Salad
Signature Farms Caesar Salad Kit
Signature Farms Southwestern Style Salad Kit
Signature Cafe Bowl Santa Fe Style Salad
Southwestern Style Salad with Chicken

Additionally, the products — sold in Aldi, Walmart, Target — were shipped to the following states:

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

Despite being shipped to the long list of aforementioned states, only 17 people across eight states have reported illnesses at this time, with seven of those people requiring hospitalization. And no deaths have been linked to the recall.

If you have any of the affected products, throw the items out immediately. And if you have any concerning symptoms, consult a medical professional right away.