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Gibson Farms has recalled organic walnuts linked to an E. coli outbreak.
CNN
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning Tuesday about a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to walnuts.
Twelve people from two states have been sickened by this particular strain of bacteria.
Seven people became so ill that they had to be hospitalized. Two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure. There have been no deaths associated with the outbreak.
A CDC study found that nearly everyone who got sick reported buying organic walnuts from the kind of bulk bins found at natural food stores and co-ops. The stores have been located in California and Washington state.
The US Food and Drug Administration linked the tainted walnuts to Gibson Farms, a California certified organic farm in Hollister, California.
On Wednesday, the farm voluntarily recalled its organic light halves and pieces of shelled walnuts, according to the FDA. The FDA has a list online of the stores it believes sold the walnuts.
While people have only gotten sick in Washington and California so far, the recalled products were also sold in stores in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South . Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
The walnuts had an expiration date between May 21, 2025 and June 7, 2025. Some stores may repackage the bulk walnut halves and pieces in plastic bags, the CDC said.
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Stores that sold the walnuts are encouraged to notify customers of the recall. If you think you have bought the walnuts, do not eat them, and if they are in your home, make sure to throw them out and clean and sanitize the surfaces that they have touched.
Most people who get sick from E. coli recover within a week; however, people with chronic conditions can experience much more serious symptoms such as abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, and kidney failure. The elderly and children are particularly vulnerable. Symptoms typically start about three to four days after swallowing the bacteria. The CDC says to be sure to call a doctor if you suspect you have e.coli.
