2015 E. coli Outbreak Linked to Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad – Recall and Advice
Posted December 22, 2015 11:00 AM ET
This outbreak appears to be over. However, E. coli is still an important cause of human illness in the United States. More information about E. coli, and steps people can take to reduce their risk of infection, can be found on the CDC E. coli web page.
Recall
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, further laboratory analysis was unable to confirm the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of celery and onion diced blend produced by Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. that was collected from a Costco store in Montana. This product was used to make the Costco rotisserie chicken salad eaten by ill people in this outbreak. The Montana Public Health Laboratory initially tested the sample and preliminary results indicated the presence of E. coli O157:H7. The preliminary test performed on the sample was a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which is commonly used to rapidly screen for the presence of bacteria DNA.
As a result of the preliminary laboratory results and out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc., voluntarily recalled multiple products containing celery because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 on November 26, 2015.
Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased rotisserie chicken salad from any Costco store in the United States on or before November 20, 2015, should not eat, serve, or sell it and should throw it away.
- The product is labeled “Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken” with item number 37719 on the label.
- The product has a typical shelf life of 3 days.
- Even if some of the rotisserie chicken salad has been eaten and no one has gotten sick, throw the rest of the product away.
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, serve, or sell any of the recalled products containing celery produced by Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc.
- Even if some of the product has been eaten and no one has gotten sick, throw the rest of the product away.
- A complete list of recalled products and the stores where they were sold is available.
Products containing recalled celery produced by Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. could be contaminated with E. coli and may make people sick.
- Contact your health care provider if you think you may have become ill from eating a recalled product.
- Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps an average of 3-4 days after swallowing the germ.
- More information about signs and symptoms of STEC infection is available on the Signs & Symptoms page.
