E. coli outbreaks in Minnesota tied to restaurants, produce
(ABC 6 News) – Be careful what you eat – that’s the warning from public health officials in Minnesota and across the country after outbreaks of E. coli were linked to multiple different sources.
From beef, baby carrots, and certain ingredients at McDonald’s, E. coli has been a growing concern across the nation, including right here in Minnesota.
Last week, the state’s department of health reported ten cases connected to several Twin Cities restaurants.
Those cases were tied to ground beef served in burgers at Red Cow, a restaurant chain with locations in the Twin Cities and here in Rochester.
According to a statement from Red Cow, all of those cases were limited to their Twin Cities locations – and they have switched suppliers to provide a safer dining experience.
RELATED: UPDATE: No E. coli cases reported at Red Cow’s Rochester location
Another outbreak of E. coli was reported by the CDC just days after, connected to organic baby carrots, with dozens nationwide infected, including five in Minnesota, and one death in California.
The carrots in question make up many different brands all sourced from Grimmway Farms. A list of affected brands is below:
- 365
- Bunny Luv
- Cal-Organic
- Compliments
- Full Circle
- Good & Gather
- GreenWise
- Grimmway Farms
- Marketside
- Nature’s Promise
- O-Organic
- President’s Choice
- Raley’s
- Simple Truth
- Sprouts
- Trader Joe’s
- Wegmans
- Wholesome Pantry
With these most recent outbreaks – it might seem like foodborne illnesses are getting more frequent.
In truth, it may be that we’re just getting better at recognizing it.
“We have much better tools for identifying outbreaks,” said professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota, Craig Hedberg. “We have more resources from a national level and at a state level for doing these investigations and for tying things together effectively.”
Regarding these most recent outbreaks, the Minnesota Department of Health says there are no new cases or reported sources though it is still investigating, and the contaminated carrots reported by the CDC should already be off shelves, though if you have any at home still you should throw them away.