The FDA Has Linked Bagged Peaches to a Salmonella Outbreak in Several States
At least 68 people in nine states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak that is believed to be linked to bagged peaches, the FDA says.
The peaches were sold under the brand name Wawona in two-pound clear plastic bags at Aldi stores beginning June 1.
The peaches were shipped to 16 different states.
At least 68 people in nine states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak that is believed to be linked to bagged peaches, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday.
The peaches were sold under the brand name Wawona in two-pound clear plastic bags at Aldi stores beginning June 1, the FDA said in an investigation update. While the peaches have affected people in nine states, they’ve been shipped to 16 different states. Aldi has voluntarily recalled the peaches. Here’s a full list of the states that are impacted by the recall:
Connecticut
Iowa
Illinois
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
North Dakota
New Hampshire
New York
Ohio
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Vermont
Wisconsin
West Virginia
Anyone who bought the peaches is encouraged to throw them out, even if you have eaten some and not gotten sick. If you currently have bagged peaches that you bought from Aldi and you can’t figure out the brand, it’s a safer bet to toss them.
The FDA also urges people to clean and sanitize any surfaces that the peaches may have come into contact with to prevent cross contamination. That includes cutting boards, knives, countertops, refrigerators, and storage bins.
What is salmonella, again?
Salmonella is a bacteria that causes 1.35 million infections and 26,500 hospitalizations a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People typically get infected with salmonella through food.
Symptoms of a salmonella infection (a.k.a. salmonellosis) include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, the CDC says, which can begin anywhere from six hours to six days after a person is infected. They can also last for up to a week. In severe cases, symptoms can include a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, and bloody urine or poop, the FDA says.
Most people who are infected with salmonella recover without a specific treatment, but in those with a severe illness, antibiotics may be needed, the CDC says.
How does salmonella get into peaches?
Salmonella outbreaks aren’t common with peaches. “There have been no outbreaks linked to peaches in the past 10 years, although we have seen a few outbreaks linked to pre-cut fruit and other fruits such as cantaloupe, mangoes, and papayas,” says Shannon D. Manning, Ph.D., M.P.H., a salmonella researcher and associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University. Instead, she says, it’s more common to see salmonella outbreaks linked to raw eggs and poultry.
But salmonella can get onto or into peaches at any point in the growing process. “Any food, including produce, can be contaminated anywhere along the journey from farm to table, including by cross-contamination in the kitchen,” says Darin Detwiler, Ph.D., director of the Regulatory Affairs of Food and Food Industries program at Northeastern University.
That could mean the peaches were contaminated by infected water when they were growing, or that the peaches were contaminated during processing, says Mike Doyle, Ph.D., regents professor and director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. “It’s really hard to say at this point,” he says.
Should you be worried about eating peaches going forward?
Given how rare salmonella infections are in peaches, Doyle says you shouldn’t stress about eating peaches outside of this recall. “I’d be more concerned about peaches from this particular brand right now—not all peaches,” he says.
Still, Manning recommends that you take a few steps to lower your risk of contracting salmonella or any foodborne illness from peaches or any produce in the future:
Wash your hands before handling the produce.
Use clean cutting boards and utensils.
Wash your produce under running water, even if you’re not planning to eat the peel. “Pathogens residing on the peel can get into the fruit when it is cut open,” Manning says.
Cut off bruised or damaged portions of the fruit and throw them away.
Keep your fruit refrigerated, since most pathogens don’t grow as well in cold temperatures.
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