Trader Joe’s shoppers with an affinity for homemade pesto, Caprese salad or other dishes featuring fresh basil should check their refrigerator for a recently recalled plastic clamshell container containing the organic herb.
“Do not eat Infinite Herbs brand organic basil sold in Trader Joe’s stores in 29 states and Washington, D.C.,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday, amid an ongoing salmonella investigation conducted in tandem with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This product should no longer be available at Trader Joe’s and is likely past its shelf life. If you have ever purchased organic basil from Trader Joe’s and removed it from the package or frozen it and you can’t tell if it was Infinite Herbs brand, do not eat it, use it, and throw it away,” the FDA urged consumers.
The popular grocer announced a voluntary recall of its 2.5-ounce plastic containers of organic basil on April 17, “because the product could potentially be contaminated with Salmonella.”
The product has UPC code 8 18042 02147 7 and was sold between February 1 and April 6, 2024 in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and District of Columbia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has urged consumers not to eat Infinite Herbs brand organic basil sold at Trader Joe’s as part of an ongoing investigation into a salmonella outbreak.
FDA
“If you purchased the product during this time, please throw it away or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund,” the retailer said in its recall announcement.
Those with questions about the recall can contact Trader Joe’s customer relations at (626) 599-3817 or by emailing the company through the product feedback form on its site.
Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for additional comment.
At the time of publication, based on epidemiological information collected by the CDC, 12 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium reported in seven states and linked to Infinite Herbs organic basil.
“Seven of eight cases for which information is available reported exposure to fresh organic basil purchased at Trader Joe’s before becoming ill,” the FDA said this week. “Additionally, traceability data collected by the FDA determined that Infinite Herbs, LLC, in Miami, Florida, was the supplier of the 2.5 ounce packages of organic basil sold in Trader Joe’s stores.”
According to the CDC, most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.
Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days. But some – especially children under 5 and adults 65 and older, or people with weakened immune systems – may have more serious illnesses requiring medical treatment or hospitalization, the CDC says.
According to the FDA, Infinite Herbs, LLC is cooperating with the agency’s investigation and has agreed to initiate the voluntary recall.
In an article posted on the company’s website, Gregorio Berliavsky, CEO of Infinite Herbs, wrote: “I am sorry that any item we sold may have caused illness or discomfort. We simply will not rest until we can be sure of the safety of this product again.”
He continued: “All farms we source from must comply with U.S. food safety regulations, meet buyer requirements and submit documentation verifying food safety practices. We purchased the recalled basil from a single farm, which is no longer in production, and we are working with the farmer to conduct an internal investigation into food safety practices. Through this investigation, our goal is to determine the cause of this recall and implement measures to prevent this from happening again.
“Your safety and satisfaction are of the utmost importance to us, and we deeply regret any concerns this may have caused,” it added.
According to Berliavsky, customers affected by the recall can contact the company’s customer service team at 305-599-9255 (ext. 148) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, or by email at customer_service@infiniteherbs .com.
The FDA and CDC investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether other products are linked to illnesses. The FDA said it would post updates through its online advisory.
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