Ready Pac Foods, Inc. Announces Voluntary Product Recall Because of Possible Health Risk

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Jul 07, 2010, 08:24 ET

Ready Pac Foods, Inc. Irwindale, CA is recalling 702 cases of the Baby Spinach variety of Spinach Temptations 6 oz. bagged salads with Use-by Dates of July 4 with Product Code I1707B, IR127121 and July 8 with Product Code I2007B, IR130373 because they could be contaminated by Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E.coli O157.H7). The recall extends only to products with this Use-by Date or Product Code sold in the following states: California, Washington and Arizona. No other Ready Pac Foods, Inc. products are included in the recall.

No illnesses related to these products have been reported.

Ready Pac is collaborating closely with the FDA. The recall notification is being issued out of an abundance of caution based on a confirmed positive result for E.coli O157:H7 in a random sample test conducted by the FDA.

E.coli O157:H7 is an organism that may cause diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Because it is still possible that products bearing the Use-by Dates of July 4 and July 8 with the above Product Codes could be on store shelves, this recall extends to retailers as well as consumers. Ready Pac believes that it is important to alert consumers and retailers who might still possess one of the potentially affected salads to dispose of it immediately.

Ready Pac Foods, Inc. has earned an outstanding safety record for over 40 years and has taken immediate precautionary measures to protect public health by issuing this voluntary recall and removing product from the market. We have notified all of our retail customers who have received the product in question and directed them to remove it from their shelves.

Instructions for Consumers:

Check your refrigerator for Ready Pac Baby Spinach, Spinach Temptations 6 oz. bagged salads with the Use-by Dates of July 4 and July 8 with the above Product Codes. The Use-by Dates are found in the upper left hand corner of the package with the Product Codes located immediately underneath.

Consumers who may have purchased the affected product are asked to record the Use-by Date and Product Code, immediately dispose of the product, and contact the Ready Pac Consumer Affairs representative, toll-free at (800) 800-7822, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) to obtain a full refund.

Instructions for Retailers:

All retailers who receive this product are asked to reconfirm with their distribution centers and all individual stores to ensure that no Baby Spinach with the Code Dates of July 4 and July 8 with the above Product Codes remains in their inventory or at store locations. A separate notification will be forwarded to all relevant Ready Pac retail customers. For additional details, retailers are asked to contact their Ready Pac customer service representative.

Complete Listing of Recalled Ready Pac Spinach Salad Products, Use-by Dates and Product Codes as follows:

Ready Pac Baby Spinach, Spinach Temptations 6 oz bagged salads (UPC Code 77745 20676) with the following Product Codes and Use-by Dates:

BEST IF USED BY:	BEST IF USED BY:
JUL 04	JUL 08
I1707B	I2007B
IR127121	IR130373