They’re handy little bags to grab on the go but now prepackaged lettuce across Australian has been linked to a salmonella outbreak – and Woolies and Coles customers have been affected.
The department said there had been 28 salmonella cases so far this year, and the lettuce was the common source, reports the ABC.
Tripod lettuce is sold at Coles and Woolworths in both supermarkets’ pre-packaged salad mixes, including Coles 4 Leaf Mix, Woolworths salad mix, SupaSalad Supamix and Wash N Toss salad mix.
The department said the recall was for products with best before dates leading up to and including February 14.
Department of Health and Human Services senior medical adviser Dr Finn Romanes said people should either return them or throw them out.
“Normally we only see a handful of cases of this strain each year, but so far this year there have been 28 adult cases of salmonella anatum – mostly adults – notified to the department,” he said in a statement.
“As a result of following up the food histories of a number of people we have discovered a common source – the Tripod Farmers lettuce.
“Tests of three products from two batches have also tested positive for Salmonella anatum bacterium.”
DHHS said the Tripod premises had been inspected and a “full and thorough clean-up” had been carried out, reports The Weekly Times Now.
DHHS said the infection was a form of gastroenteritis and could affect anyone, with symptoms occurring between 6 to 72 hours after the bacteria is ingested, including diarrhoea, fever, headache, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and dehydration.
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