Urgent vegetable recall: If you shop at Walmart, check your fridge now

Salmonella is again at the center of yet another product recall. It’s a bacteria that can contaminate all sorts of products and cause potentially fatal infections in certain groups of people. This time around, we’re looking at the recall of one lot of Organic Marketside Zucchini packages that were available at Walmart.

Routine US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sampling found traces of Salmonella on zucchini from that lot, leading to the recall action.

Organic Marketside Zucchini recall

World Variety Produce announced the Organic Marketside Zucchini recall earlier this week. The FDA announcement is available at this link.

Buyers who purchased the Organic Marketside Zucchini in the following states should check their packages to see if they come from the recalled lot: Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

The product was available in Walmart retail stores in each of those 18 states. You should be looking for case lot 38706503 and UPC 6-81131-22105-4 to determine whether or not your Organic Marketside Zucchini packages are safe.

The following image shows where you’ll find the identifiers on the product packaging:

Why Salmonella is dangerous

World Variety Produce says it has not yet received any illness reports from buyers who purchased the Organic Marketside Zucchini product included in this recall.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can often be found on food products, such as these Organic Marketside Zucchini or Easter chocolates.

Healthy people who consume the bacteria can develop a fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It may take up to three days for the symptoms to appear. Also, these symptoms aren’t specific to salmonellosis, as they can appear in other illnesses. A correct diagnosis involves testing specifically for Salmonella. 

The illness comes with vascular complications in rare cases, as the bacteria can get into the bloodstream. As a result, patients can experience arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

Young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems are at risk of developing fatal infections. More details about the illness are available at the Mayo Clinic.

What you should do

If you have Organic Marketside Zucchini from the recall in your pantry, you should stop consuming it. The company urges customers to destroy and dispose of any potentially contaminated product. There’s no mention of refunds in the press release, but you can always contact World Variety Produce or Walmart to get more information.

Also, if you experience any unexplained symptoms, you should reach out to your doctor.

Finally, make sure you read the full announcement at the FDA. That’s where you’ll find contact information for the company.