Carrots sold at Trader Joe’s and Wegmans recalled due to possible E. coli contamination

If you do your weekly grocery rounds at Trader Joe’s or Wegmans, it might be time to check your fridge.

Grimmway Farms said in a news release that some of its organic whole carrots and baby carrots that were sold at the grocery store chains may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

The carrot producers, headquartered in Bakersfield, California, voluntarily recalled the carrots after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that they may be associated with an outbreak.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), which affects mostly children under 5 years old and the elderly, can cause bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps and vomiting, according to the CDC. STEC is also the most common cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure and even death.

E. coli usually spreads through animal or human feces and can then contaminate food and water.

Grimmway Farms shipped the recalled carrots to distribution centers in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and sold them under multiple labels, including Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Bunny-luv, Nature’s Promise, Simple Truth and 365. Grimmway Farms has shared pictures of all the labels in question for customer awareness.

The whole carrots that were recalled were sold in stores from Aug. 14 through Oct. 23, while the baby carrots have best-if-used-by-dates ranging from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12, 2024, Grimmway Farms said.

While they are no longer being sold in stores, Grimmway Farms warned customers who may still have them in their fridges to throw them away.

“We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously,” President and CEO Jeff Huckaby said in a statement. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvest, and processing practices.”

An E. coli outbreak reported last month that was linked to slivered onions on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders sickened at least 104 people, killing one. The outbreak affected 14 states, including Colorado, Montana and Nebraska.