Cancel that caprese salad on your menus for the weekend, folks, and check your basil! Everyone’s favorite hippy grocery store Trader Joe’s has just recalled their Infinite Herbs organic basil in the 2.5 ounce clamshell containers due to a salmonella outbreak. This recall affects 29 states and Washington, D.C.
If you purchased the basil between February 1 and April 6 and you live in the following states, do not eat it.
The states affected by the outbreak include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Orleans, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Trader Joe’s is voluntarily removing the product from its shelves and are urging customers to throw it away or turn the package back into the store.
The CDC announced that it detected an outbreak in which 12 people in seven states are reported to have been infected with a strain of salmonella. Per The Washington Post, “In seven of the eight cases ‘with information available,’ people said they had been exposed to the Trader Joe’s basil before becoming ill, regulators say.”
The Washington Post reports that the CDC investigation is “ongoing” and is aimed at “determining the source of the contamination and whether any other products are affected.”
The outlet reported that a Trader Joe’s spokeswoman said in an email that “the company prioritizes safety and typically errs on the side of caution in recalling foods.”
“With more than five decades of experience working directly with the producers of our products, we stand by our proactive practices and continually improve our food safety processes,” she said. “We take these matters seriously—personally, even, as our families eat and drink TJ’s products, too,” she said.
Per the Trader Joe’s website, “Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817 or send us an email.”
