Organic Marketside Zucchini Sold at Walmart Recalled for Salmonella Risk

The vegetable was shipped to stores in 18 states

Organic Marketside Zucchini sold at Walmart Source: Food and Drug Administration

Produce distributor World Variety Produce has recalled a single lot of imported organic zucchini sold at Walmart after a routine test by the Food and Drug Administration showed it was positive for salmonella. 

No illnesses have been reported.

The recalled zucchini, sold under the Walmart private-label brand Organic Marketside, was on store shelves as recently as Monday but has now been removed, says Robert Schueller, director of public relations for World Variety Produce. The vegetable was packed in 6-ounce trays, two to a package. Consumers who purchased the product should check the package for UPC code 6-81131-22105-4.

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The zucchini was shipped to some Walmart stores in Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

“If you bought this brand and have already taken the zucchini out of the package, don’t take a chance that it’s not part of this recall,” says James E. Rogers, PhD, director of food safety and testing at Consumer Reports. 

“Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with salmonella or other bacteria if they were grown in contaminated soil or water, or during processing and shipping,” he says. “You can’t wash salmonella away, and the bacteria may not be only on the vegetable’s surface anyway. In some cases it can get into the flesh through a nick or through the roots as the vegetable is growing.”

Consumers can return recalled zucchini to the Walmart store where it was originally purchased for a full refund, Schueller says.

Risk of Salmonella

More than a million people become sick each year from salmonella infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most common symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps—any of which can begin between 6 hours and six days after infection. And it can last between four and seven days. 

Most people don’t need treatment and will get better on their own.

But for some—such as older people and very young children, or those with compromised immune systems—salmonella can become so severe that a person requires hospitalization, which happens to more than 26,000 people annually. And it can become fatal: 420 people die each year from it, according to the CDC.

Head shot of CRO author Lisa Gill

Lisa L. Gill

As a dorky kid, I spent many a Saturday at the Bloomington, Ind., public library, scouring Consumer Reports back issues for great deals. Now, as a (much) bigger kid, that's still my job! Identifying products and services, especially in healthcare, that are safe, effective, and affordable—and highlighting those that aren't—is my top concern. Got a tip? Follow me on Twitter ( @Lisa_L_Gill)

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