Update (1:00 PM PST): The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has once again expanded its list of retailers carrying recalled Farm Rich products. The latest retailer list contains 12 national grocers, including Alco, Kroger and Meijer, as well as a number of regional stores in Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. It is not clear if the list will expand any further in the coming days. The original story is printed below: The list of retailers involved in the ongoing recall of frozen Farm Rich food products has grown to include a number of regional grocery stores. The recall, first announced on March 28, was prompted by reports that at least 24 people in 15 states have contracted infections of E. coli O121 in connection to the recalled products. Retailers currently connected to the recall include Food City, Giant Eagle, Hannaford, Kroger, ShopRite, Spartan Stores and its affiliated chains, Tops, Walmart, Wegmans, and Winn-Dixie stores in southern Florida. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also released a list of numerous local Michigan retailers carrying Farm Rich products, including Family Fare, VG’s Grocery and Harding’s Market locations. The voluntary recall notice includes a full list of recalled products:
- 7.2-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mini pizza slices with cheese pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322376909 with a best by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014.
- 22-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mini pizza slices with cheese pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322356437 with a best by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014.
- 18-oz. bags of Farm Rich mini quesadillas with cheese, grilled white meat chicken in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356352 with a best by date of May 14, 2014.
- 21-oz. bags of Farm Rich philly cheese steaks with cheese, beef & onions in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356345 with a best by date of May 13, 2014.
- 22-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322374431 with a best by date of May 19, 2014.
- 7-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322376916 with a best by date of May 19, 2014.
- 22-oz. bags of Market Day Mozzarella Bites, UPC code 041322804358 with a best by date of May 12, 2014.
On Saturday, the office of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released a statement on the outbreak: “This situation highlights the need to maintain our investments in our nation’s public health infrastructure,” DeLauro wrote. “The outbreak was identified because of the strong leadership of state and federal public health officials and a robust PulseNet. Without adequate resources we are asking those same officials to protect us with one hand tied behind their back. We should not let the deeply harmful, across the board cuts known as sequestration result in less funding for their work.” On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted a report detailing the E. coli O121 outbreak, which noted that of the 24 known victims, seven have been hospitalized.
