Fresh Express brand Sunflower Crisp Chopped Kit recalled due to E. coli

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for Fresh Express brand Sunflower Crisp Chopped Kits due to possible E. coli contamination.

In a written release, the CFIA said the products were recalled after an investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak and the investigation could lead to the recall of other products.

The salad kits were sold in P.E.I., New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. The products are not likely to be available in stores, but may still be in consumers' homes the release said.

The CFIA said recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

The recall affects 315 gram Fresh Express brand Sunflower Crisp Chopped Kits with a UPC code of 0 71279 30906 4.

All packages with a best-before date up to and including Dec. 7, 2019 and a lot code beginning with "Z" and indicating Salinas as a source of Romaine lettuce were affected, said the CFIA website.

As of Dec. 8 there have been 16 confirmed cases of illness from E. coli linked to this outbreak in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Four people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

Food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled but eating it can still make people sick. 

Symptoms of the illness include nausea, vomiting, mild to severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Severe cases of the illness can lead to seizures, strokes, kidney damage and death, the release said.

More P.E.I. news