More than 6,000 cartons of cilantro tested positive for salmonella, prompting producer Pacific International Marketing to recall the product. According to Medical News Today, the company is working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to contain the reach of the affected cilantro.
Contaminated cartons were shipped to retail outlets in Missouri, South Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Massachusetts, Arizona and California. The products come in 60, 30 bunches and 20-3 bunched sleeves, Pacific said, with a UPC code of 33383 80104.
The cilantro was on the shelves between November 16 and December 10, Medical News Today reported.
Though Pacific and the FDA have not yet been able to find the source of the contamination, it is known that the cilantro comes from Salt River Farming, a plant near Phoenix, Arizona.
No illnesses have yet been reported in relation to the cilantro, and the recall is a cautionary measure only.
Salmonella is a bacteria carried in contaminated food and water that can cause fever and other illnesses. Symptoms include elevated body temperature, bloody diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain and voting. In some cases, salmonella can enter the bloodstream and cause complications like arthritis or endocarditis.
Those especially susceptible include young children, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems.
