Woman Files Suit in E.Coli Outbreak Linked to Carrots

UPDATE Nov 20, 2024 1:55 PM CST

A Georgia woman has filed the first lawsuit related to an E.coli outbreak involving organic carrots—and her lawyer says he has six other clients whose illnesses could be connected and he expects the number of lawsuits to go up. Melinda Pratt, 40, says she became severely ill and was hospitalized for three days after eating Bunny Luv carrots, one of dozens of recalled brands produced by Grimmway Farms in California, NBC News reports. The lawsuit was filed in California by Ron Simon & Associates—a law firm that specializes in food poisoning cases—and Gomez Trial Attorneys. It seeks payment for Pratt's medical fees and compensation for pain and suffering. The outbreak has sickened at least 39 people in 18 states and killed one. A full list of recalled products can be seen here.

Nov 18, 2024 2:00 AM CST

One person has died and dozens more have been sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots. Many popular brands are affected, including Cal-Organic, Bunny Luv, Nature's Promise, O Organics, Simple Truth, and store brands from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Wegmans, Target, Kroger, and Raley's; for a complete list, see the FDA's information page. The impacted products include both whole and baby carrots from Grimmway Farms; the supplier has issued a voluntary recall. So far, 39 cases of E. coli have been identified across 18 states, the Washington Post reports. Officials warn the true number could be higher, as many infected people recover at home without being tested for E. coli, and if a person is tested it can take as long as four weeks to confirm whether they are part of an outbreak, CNN reports.

The recalled products were sold between August 14 and October 23, and best-if-used-by dates on the baby carrots range from September 11 to November 12. (There are no best-by dates on the whole carrots, USA Today reports.) The products should no longer be on store shelves, but anyone with affected carrots should throw them away and sanitize any items or surfaces with which they came in contact. Symptoms of E. coli infection, which can appear up to nine days after consuming tainted food, include stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. (More recall stories.)