Grimmway Farms has issued a voluntary recall of its organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots after they were linked to a possible E. coli O121 contamination. This recall was announced on November 16th and was reported by the FDA. If you’re one of the many who stocked up on these carrots, it’s time to go to your fridge and freezer and check those veggie bags! Those who have the carrots at home should dispose of them ASAP and sanitize the surfaces the products might’ve touched. But don’t panic just yet—stick around, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. And while we are at it, check out our bulk catalog for some great quality ingredients with no E-Coli scares!
What happened?
This past November 16th, Grimmway Farms, known for its organic produce, recalled certain organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots after they were potentially contaminated with E. coli O121. The recall was issued after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an E. coli outbreak linked to the product. The following recalled products were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Brand | Product | Size | Sold | Best by | Issue |
365 | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Bunny Luv | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 10lb, 25lb, 50lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Cal-Organics | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 6lb, 10lb, 15lb, 25lb, 50lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Compliments | Organic whole carrots | 2lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Full Circle | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Good & Gather | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
GreenWise | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 25lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Marketside | Organic whole carrots | 2lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Nature’s Promise | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 5lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
O-Organics | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 10lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
President’s Choice | Organic whole carrots | 2lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Simple Truth | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Trader Joe’s | Organic whole carrots | 1lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Wegman’s | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Wholesome Pantry | Organic whole carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 5lb | 08/14/24 – 10/23/24 | NON | E-Coli |
Brand | Product | Size | Best by | Issue |
365 | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 12oz, 1lb, 2lb | 09/11/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
Bunny Luv | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb, 2lb, 3lb, 5lb | 09/11/24 – 11/12/24 | E-Coli |
Cal-Organics | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 12oz, 1lb, 2lb, 2pk/2lbs | 09/11/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
Compliments | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb | 09/14/24 – 10/24/24 | E-Coli |
Full Circle | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb | 09/14/24 – 10/24/24 | E-Coli |
Good & Gather | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 12oz, 1lb | 09/14/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
GreenWise | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb | 09/11/24 – 10/26/24 | E-Coli |
Grimmway Farms | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 25lb bag | 09/11/24 – 10/03/24 | |
Marketside | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 12oz, 1lb, 2lb | 09/11/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
Nature’s Promise | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb | 09/13/24 – 10/25/24 | E-Coli |
O-Organics | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 12oz, 1lb, 2lb | 09/11/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
President’s Choice | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb, 2lb | 09/11/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
Raley’s | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb | 09/14/24 – 10/23/24 | E-Coli |
Simple Truth | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb, 2lb | 09/14/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
Sprouts | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb, 2lb | 09/13/24 – 11/04/24 | E-Coli |
Trader Joe’s | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb | 09/13/24 – 11/04/24 | E-Coli |
Wegman’s | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 12oz, 1lb, 2lb | 09/14/24 – 11/02/24 | E-Coli |
Wholesome Pantry | Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots | 1lb, 2lb | 09/16/24 – 11/07/24 | E-Coli |
What caused the issue?
These products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. E. coli O121:H19. What’s this now? A bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and people with a weakened immune system. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as 10 days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days. The bad news is that so far, 39 illnesses and one death have been associated with an E. coli O121:H19 outbreak.
Here’s what you should do
If you have purchased this product, take action! Here’s how:
- Check the label:
– Best by dates – Organic Baby Carrots: 09/11/24 – 11/02/24 || 09/11/24 – 11/12/24 || 09/14/24 – 10/24/24 || 09/14/24 – 11/02/24 || 09/11/24 – 10/26/24 || 09/11/24 – 10/03/24 || 09/13/24 – 10/25/24 || 09/14/24 – 10/23/24 || 09/13/24 – 11/04/24 || 09/16/24 – 11/07/24
– Sold through – Organic Whole Carrots: 08/14/24 – 10/23/24
- Identify the product:
– 365 Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb
– Bunny Luv Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 10lb, 25lb
– Cal-Organics Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 6lb, 10lb, 25lb
– Compliments Organic Whole Carrots 2lb
– Full Circle Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb
– Good & Gather Organic Whole Carrots 2lb
– GreenWise Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 25lb
– Marketside Organic Whole Carrots 2lb
– Nature’s Promise Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 5lb
– O-Organics Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 10lb
– President’s Choice Organic Whole Carrots 2lb
– Simple Truth Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb
– Trader Joe’s Organic Whole Carrots 1lb
– Wegman’s Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb
– Wholesome Pantry Organic Whole Carrots 1lb, 2lb, 5lb
– 365 Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 12oz, 1lb, 2lb
– Bunny Luv Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb, 2lb, 3lb, 5lb
– Cal-Organics Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 12oz, 1lb, 2lb, 2pk/2lbs
– Compliments Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb
– Full Circle Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb
– Good & Gather Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 12oz, 1lb
– GreenWise Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb
– Grimmway Farms Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 25lb bag
– Marketside Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 12oz, 1lb, 2lb
– Nature’s Promise Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb
– O-Organics Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 12oz, 1lb, 2lb
– President’s Choice Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb, 2lb
– Raley’s Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb
– Simple Truth Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb, 2lb
– Sprouts Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb, 2lb
– Trader Joe’s Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb
– Wegman’s Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 12oz, 1lb, 2lb
– Wholesome Pantry Organic Baby (cut and peeled) carrots 1lb, 2lb
- Dispose of the product:
If you find any of these carrots in your fridge or freezer, throw them out immediately—don’t take any chances and sanitize the surface touched by the product. Don’t even try to compost them. We’re talking about E. coli here, people!
- Contact Info:
Consumers with questions or products in their possession may contact our customer services desk at 1-800-301-3101, M-F, 8 am – 8 pm ET, and November 16-17, 8 am – 8 pm ET, or visit www.grimmway.com.
The first lawsuit against the company has been filed, see here for more details.
Behind the brand
Grimmway Farms has been around since 1969 and is one of the largest producers of organic carrots in the U.S. They pride themselves on delivering fresh, organic produce to homes and retailers across the country. Their website features all sorts of organic products, from carrots to other veggies, and they have a reputation for quality. However, as we’ve learned with this recall, even the best brands can occasionally have a slip-up.
Ensuring safe eats
This recall highlights a critical issue in the food industry—food safety. When E. coli makes its way into the food supply, the effects can be disastrous, as seen in this outbreak. It’s not just a matter of the company’s reputation; people’s lives are on the line.
For more updates on this and other recalls, or if you have questions about how to get your hands on fresh and safe ingredients, reach out to our team. Stay safe, and happy eating!
