Ready Pac Foods, Inc. is recalling 702 cases of the Baby Spinach variety of Spinach Temptations 6 oz. bagged salads with Use-by Dates of July 4, and bearing a Product Code of I1707B, IR127121, and July 8 product with Product Code I2007B, IR130373. Ready Pac has issued the recall because the spinach products may be contaminated by E. coli O157:H7. The recall extends only to products sold in the California, Washington and Arizona.
I have to admit, I felt a produce recall coming sometime soon, but thought it would be due to Salmonella contamination, not E. coli O157:H7. Apparently, there’s lots of both bugs floating around in our food supply right now. See Salmonella: the year in review . . . so far.
The leafy greens industry has had its share of problems. “The outbreak” linked to Dole baby spinach in 2006 is but one, albeit very significant, example. Here is a list of 34 lettuce and other leafy green outbreaks that have happened since 1993:
