What to know about carrot producer tied to outbreak

On November 19, 2024By Littum

Grimmway Farms is the California produce company at the center of an ongoing carrot recall linked to a nationwide E. Coli outbreak.

A California-based produce company is at the center of an ongoing recall after the grower announced that its organic whole and baby carrots were potentially contaminated with E. coli.

Grimmway Farms, which claims to be a “global production leader and one of the largest producers of carrots,” issued the recall on Saturday, according to a news release shared by the Bakersfield headquarters.

The carrots should “no longer be in grocery stores, but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers,” the company said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the E. coli outbreak in several states is linked to select Grimmway Farms carrots, the agency said in a statement. One person has died, 15 have been hospitalized and 39 illnesses have been reported in connection with the outbreak, according to the CDC.

“We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously,” Grimmway Farms President and CEO Jeff Huckaby said in the release. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvesting and processing practices. Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.”

Here’s what you need to know about Grimmway Farms and the recall.

What is Grimmway Farms?

Grimmway Farms says on its website the company was started in the 1960s by the Brothers Grimm, who opened a roadside produce stand in Anaheim, California, selling corn to the local community.

In 1969, Rod and Bob Grimm incorporated their partnership and began doing business as Grimmway Farms, the company’s bio reads. In 1990, the baby carrot’s popularity disrupted the produce industry and became trendy for consumers who wanted value-added vegetables and healthy snacking, according to the manufacturer. From 1991 to 2001, the biography reads, Grimmway Farms acquired several brands to expand its carrot and produce empire.

With additional processing facilities now in Washington and Georgia, as of 2023, Grimmway Farms produces more than 135 seasonal and year-round products distributed worldwide, according to the manufacturer. All of the company’s products are now grown in the United States and distributed to distribution centers, not directly to stores, Dana Brennan, Grimmway’s vice president of external affairs and corporate responsibility, told USA TODAY in 2021.

The company has previously issued recalls, most recently in 2021, where select carrot products may have been contaminated with salmonella. No illnesses were reported during this recall, according to Food and Drug Administration.

“The recall was initiated as a result of a routine internal company test,” Huckaby said in July 2021. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we will continue to monitor and communicate as additional information becomes available .”

Which Grimmway Farms carrots are being recalled?

While the affected bags of Grimmway Farms organic baby and whole carrots are likely no longer sold in stores, they may still be in people’s homes and refrigerators.

According to Grimmway Farms’ release, the recalled products were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. The affected products include:

Organic whole carrots with no best-if date printed on the bag but could be purchased in retail stores from August 14th to October 23rd.
Organic baby carrots with best-if-used-by dates from September 11 to November 12.

The recalled Grimmway Farms carrot brands include:

365: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb bag sizes (whole carrots) and 12 oz, 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)
Bunny Luv: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb, 2 lb, 3 lb, 5 lb (baby carrots)
Cal organic: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, 6 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb (whole carrots) and 12 oz, 1 lb, 2 lb, 2 pk/2 lb (baby carrots)
Compliments: 2 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb (baby carrots)
Full circle: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb (baby carrots)
Good & Collect: 2 lb (whole carrots) and 12 oz, 1 lb (baby carrots)
GreenWise: 1 lb, 25 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb (baby carrots)
Grimmway Farms: 25 lb bag (baby carrots)
Market page: 2 lb (whole carrots) and 12 oz, 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)
Nature’s promise: 1 lb, 5 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb (baby carrots)
O-Organics: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb (whole carrots) and 12 oz, 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)
The President’s Choice: 2 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)
Raley’s: 1 lb (baby carrots)
Simple truth: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)
Trader Joe’s: 1 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb (baby carrots)
Wegmans: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb (whole carrots) and 12 oz, 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)
Healthy Pantry: 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb (whole carrots) and 1 lb, 2 lb (baby carrots)

What type of E. coli was found in Grimmway Farms carrots?

The recalled Grimmway Farms products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, which is a bacteria that can “cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems,” according to CDC and California-based grower.

“Some infections can cause serious bloody diarrheal conditions, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurological problems,” the CDC said.

Symptoms of E. coli infections include severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and/or vomiting, according to the agency. The incubation period for E. coli in humans varies from 24 hours to as long as 10 days, with the average incubation period being three to four days, the CDC said.

Grimmway Farms said it has notified customers who received the affected carrots directly from them and requested that they notify distributors of the recalled products. The implicated farms are out of production, and none of the recalled carrots have tested positive for E. coli, according to the company.