A Georgia woman filed a lawsuit on Nov. 18 against a Californian carrot producer following a severe E. coli infection she claims was caused by contaminated organic carrots.
The filing comes just days after the producer—Grimmway Farms—issued a recall of select organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots due to potential E. coli contamination.
Melinda Pratt, 40, of Savannah, Georgia, filed the lawsuit alleging she became sick after eating Grimmway Farms’ Bunny Luv brand organic whole carrots she bought at Sam’s Club on Sept. 30.
In an interview with NBC News, Pratt said she experienced “bloody diarrhea and stomach pain that felt like somebody getting stabbed in the stomach repeatedly and not stopping,” as well as nausea and vomiting.
The lawsuit and recall came amid an E. coli outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked to Grimmway Farms produce.
“CDC and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 infections linked to multiple brands of recalled organic whole bagged carrots and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms,” the CDC said Nov. 17.
The outbreak, the CDC said, has affected 39 people across 18 states and resulted so far in 15 hospitalizations and one death.
Pratt is seeking compensation for medical expenses, pain, and suffering in the first lawsuit related to the outbreak. She claims to owe $20,000 for her treatment at an out-of-network hospital where she allegedly was admitted for three days.
Ron Simon, one of Pratt’s lawyers who specializes in food safety cases, told NBC News that he is representing six other clients who say they got sick after eating the affected products. He added that he expects lawsuits to increase as more people come forward.
The recalled carrots were sold under various brand names, including 365, Cal-Organic, Nature’s Promise, Trader Joe’s, and Wegmans.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recall includes organic baby carrots with best-if-used-by dates from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12 and whole organic carrots sold in stores from around Aug. 14 to Oct. 23.
Grimmway Farms to Investigate
Grimmway Farms has stated that its food safety team is working with suppliers and health authorities to address the situation.
Jeff Huckaby, president and CEO of Grimmway Farms, said his company will thoroughly investigate its operations over the outbreak.
“We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously,” he said. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvest, and processing practices.”
While the affected products are unlikely to still be in grocery stores, they could still be in your refrigerator and the CDC has advised people to check their refrigerators and freezers and discard any recalled carrots.
Consumers should also wash items and surfaces that may have come into contact with any products related to an outbreak using hot, soapy water or place them in a dishwasher.
E. coli bacteria is usually spread through fecal matter, which can contaminate food and water. Cooking can kill the bacteria, but some produce is eaten raw, which leads to potential outbreaks. Symptoms of E. coli infection can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. For vulnerable groups such as children or older adults, the infection can lead to serious kidney complications and even death, according to the CDC.