If you have this lettuce at home, don’t eat it, says CDC

The nutrient-dense salad is perhaps one of the quintessential healthiest dishes. However, depending on the type of ingredients you put in your salad, you could inadvertently jeopardize your well-being – and we’re not just talking about loading it with high-calorie toppings and dressings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a popular type of salad could pose a serious risk to your health right now, and the health authority is warning against its consumption at this time. Read on to find out if you should get rid of this popular food now.

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On July 15, the CDC issued a food safety alert after eight people in the United States were infected with Salmonella Typhimurium.

The health authority has determined that at least five of the people who fell ill purchased or consumed BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch Salad before they fell ill. At the time the food safety alert was issued, there had been no hospitalizations or deaths related to the outbreak.

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The eight people affected by the Salmonella Typhimurium epidemic live in Wisconsin and Illinois, but in addition to being sold in those states, BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch Salad has also been distributed to stores in Iowa and Indiana, CDC. The original source of the contamination has been traced back to the BrightFarms facility in Rochelle, Ill., Where the salads were produced.

While the CDC has verified that the potentially contaminated salads were sold in those four states, the health authority notes that they may also have been distributed elsewhere in the United States.

Affected salads are packaged in plastic clamshell containers with the words “BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad” and “Fresh from Rochelle, IL” printed on the package.

To protect yourself from infection, “Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad produced in Rochelle, IL,” says the CDC. However, throwing away the salad may not be enough to keep you safe due to the easy spread of salmonella. To limit your risk of getting sick, the CDC recommends washing any surfaces that may have come in contact with the affected salad with hot, soapy water, and doing the same for any items that may have touched the salad. or put them in the dishwasher. .

Symptoms of salmonella infections, which typically include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, usually start between six hours and six days after coming in contact with contaminated food or surfaces. While for most people the condition usually goes away within a week without the need for medical treatment, not everyone does.

Young children, people over 65, and people with compromised immunity are more likely to get seriously ill from salmonella. If you have eaten or come in contact with the salad and you feel sick, contact a healthcare practitioner.

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