CALIFORNIA - One person has died and 39 people have become ill in an E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots, US federal regulators said on Nov 17.

       The infections were tied to multiple brands of recalled organic whole bagged carrots and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

       Fifteen people have been hospitalised, according to the agency.

       Carrots currently on store shelves are unlikely to be affected by the recall but those in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers may be, the authorities said.

       “If you have any recalled carrots in your home, throw them out or return them to the store,” the CDC said.

       Grimmway Farms, which is based in Bakersfield, California, said in a statement on Nov 16 that it had recalled multiple sizes and brands of its bagged organic baby and whole carrots.

       The recalled products include organic whole carrots, which do not have a best-if-used-by date on the bag but were available for purchase at retail stores from Aug 14 through Oct 23. The recall also involved organic baby carrots with best-if-used-by dates from Sept 11 through Nov 12.

       The carrots were sold under multiple brand names and at several retailers, including Trader Joe’s and Wegmans.

       The states with the most outbreaks were Minnesota, New York and Washington, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

       E. coli infections typically start four days after a person consumes a contaminated food. Symptoms include diarrhoea and severe stomach cramps. If those symptoms last more than two days or if the patient experiences a fever higher than 38.8 deg C or dehydration, medical help is required.

       Some people may also develop serious kidney problems and need to be hospitalised.

       Most people recover without treatment after five to seven days, the CDC said.

       The carrots recall comes after an E. coli outbreak in October related to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers resulted in one fatality and more than 100 cases of illness, according to the CDC. The agency said slivered onions were the likely source of that outbreak. NYTIMES