There’s a new lettuce recall that consumers need to know about, with Kalera Public Limited Company having just announced the action. Certain lots of lettuce that the company produced might be contaminated with Salmonella. That’s a dangerous bacteria that can trigger serious illness. Recalls routinely follow when foods test positive for the bacteria.
Kalera lettuce recall
Kalera announced the recall this week and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shared the press release at this link.
The company’s food safety testing procedures indicated the potential presence of Salmonella in some of its whole head lettuce SKUs. Kalera then reported the issue to the FDA, triggering the recall.
This new recall concerns 633 cases of Krunch, Butter, and Romaine whole head variety lettuce. Consumers should look for lot codes 001293 and 001294 on the label to determine if their lettuce is from the recalled lots.
Kalera says that it distributed the lettuce from this recall to a small number of retail and food service customers in Florida. The products come from the company’s Orlando farm. No other Kalera products are affected.
Salmonella infection risk
Kalera says it has not received reports of illness connected to the lettuce products in this recall. However, people who eat the lettuce from the two lots risk developing an infection.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella might experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. But these symptoms can be associated with other conditions, so a direct diagnosis will not be possible without testing.
The symptoms can appear between 8 and 72 hours after exposure. However, otherwise healthy people should recover within a few days to a week without any specific treatment.
In rare cases, the Salmonella bacteria can travel to the bloodstream. As a result, it’ll cause more severe illnesses that impact the blood vessels. People can experience arterial infections (infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.
What you should do
Consumers who purchased Kalera lettuce from the recalled lots should stop eating it immediately. The company advises customers to discard the lettuce and seek a refund.
Buyers will have to reach out directly to Kalera using the contact information available in the recall press release.
Furthermore, people who think they contracted Salmonella should contact a doctor.
