News and Stories

This update does not apply to any Markon First Crop, Ready-Set-Serve, or Markon Essentials products.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners continue to investigate a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to salad products that were made by Fresh Express containing iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots and that were sold in several regions of the United States.

FDA’s traceback investigation identified several farms in the U.S. that may have provided product used in the Fresh Express salads that were recalled. FDA’s traceback investigation is complete, however the cause or source of the outbreak has not yet been determined via traceback. FDA is working with the state of Florida and the local water district in the area to try to determine the source and impact of Cyclospora in the canal.
                                                                                  
Based on the traceback, carrots are no longer being investigated for this outbreak. Two of the salad ingredients, red cabbage and iceberg lettuce, continue to be items of interest in the investigation. The contaminated bagged salad products that made people sick in this outbreak are past their shelf-life and should no longer be available. The affected salads had best-before dates up to and including July 14, 2020. As this outbreak investigation continues, the FDA will provide additional updates to this advisory.

What we know:

• 690 total illnesses in 13 states
• 37 hospitalization, 0 deaths
• Illness onset date 5/11/2020 – 7/20/2020

Attached for your review is the CDC press release.

Markon will update members as more information becomes available.

Ashley Perez
Food Safety Coordinator

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