Contaminated carrots | How to protect yourself against E. coli

An outbreak of E. coli in the United States, which caused one death, led to the withdrawal of numerous carrots from the company Grimmway Farms in Canada. The case of contaminated baby carrots resulted in 15 hospitalizations.

What happened?

The U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recorded 39 cases of Escherichia coli infection in 18 states since September. All cases were linked to baby carrots. After an investigation, Grimmway Farms recalled a large part of its production.

In Canada, several brands of carrot products, including juices, with expiration dates ranging from August 14 to November 2, are involved. No cases of E. coli in Canada has not been detected.

Consult the list of carrots recalled in Canada

What are the symptoms to watch for for parents whose children have eaten baby carrots?

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, says Earl Rubin, microbiologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “If there is blood in the stool, a child’s parents should seek medical attention,” says Dr.^r Rubin.

Does E. coli from vegetables is as dangerous as that from meat?

Cases of E. coli linked to eating undercooked meat are the most dangerous, says D^r Rubin. But cases involving vegetables, which usually involve toxins called “Shiga,” can also have serious consequences.

The D^r Rubin cites as an example the recent case of cut onions contaminated with E. coli in McDonald’s restaurants in 14 American states. The case resulted in 104 cases, 34 hospitalizations and one death.

How does E. Can coli infect vegetables?

It may be related to irrigation, or simply poor washing, says Mengyi Dong, a University of Illinois biologist who just published in the journal Food Microbiologya study on the impact of warehouse temperature on the development of E. coli in vegetables.

“It only takes one contaminated piece of equipment in the packaging line to contaminate an entire category of products,” says M.^me Dong. If there has been contamination of irrigation water with wild birds or neighboring animal farms, that introduces a pathogen into the process. »

Vegetables could be more often contaminated with climate change because faced with drought, producers are equipping themselves with rainwater retention basins, according to Alexandre Thibodeau, microbiologist at the University of Montreal. “These ponds can be contaminated by wild birds. »

Does the fact that they are organic carrots play a role?

A priori no, according to Mr. Thibodeau. “The only thing I could see is that there was the use of organic fertilizers rather than chemical ones. »