Wegmans Recalling Certain Green Veggies, Cat Grass Sold In 7 States Over Salmonella Concerns

Wegmans Food Markets is voluntarily recalling certain greens and cat grass products because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The products were sold at Wegmans stores in seven states including New York and Virginia.

The problem with the recalled products stems from the soil that they were grown in, "some" of which reportedly "tested positive for Salmonella by the supplier," according to the announcement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) website.

Salmonella can be particularly harmful to infants, those who are 65 years of age and older and those whose immune systems are weakened, as they are the ones "most likely" to get a severe Salmonella infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted. And although most people can recover from a Salmonella infection completely, some patients' bowel movements may not come back to normal even after months.

As of the announcement, there have been no illnesses related to the recall, which the company noted to have been initiated "out of an abundance of caution."

The recall affects three products: Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard Micro Greens with UPC 0-77890-25036-5 and "use by" dates of Dec. 17, 2022, and Dec. 24, 2022, Wegmans Organic Baby Kale & Baby Spinach with Sweet Pea Leaves with UPC 0-77890-52377-3 and "use by" date of Dec. 20, 2022, and Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard Cat Grass with UPC 0-77890-50938-8 that was sold since Oct. 25, 2022.

Photos of the recalled products are available on the FDA website. These were sold at Wegmans stores in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.

Those who find that they are in possession of a recalled product may return them to get a full refund, according to Wegmans. The company has also been contacting customers who bought them using their Shoppers Club cards.

Those who have questions may contact Wegmans Food Markets at 1-855-934-3663.

Salmonella

People can contract a Salmonella infection through various means, such as by consuming contaminated food or beverages. It is estimated that there are 1.35 million Salmonella infections each year in the U.S., causing 26,500 hospitalizations and about 420 deaths.

Food is said to be the most common source of these illnesses. And even with these numbers, it's quite likely that there are even more illnesses associated with Salmonella than the ones that are known.

"For every person with a Salmonella illness confirmed by a laboratory test, there are about 30 more people with Salmonella illnesses that are not reported," the CDC explained.

One important way that people can prevent Salmonella is by following food safety measures, which include washing their hands and surfaces often and cooking food to the right temperature. Following safety tips when it comes to caring for animals is also key to avoiding Salmonella infections.