Starbucks Corp. reportedly recalled turkey sandwiches from 1,347 units last week because they contained potentially contaminated celery also linked to an E. coli outbreak involving chicken salad from Costco Wholesale Corp., according to a Bloomberg report Tuesday.
The panini sandwiches were a holiday-related limited-time offer at Starbucks that included a cranberry cornbread stuffing with celery, which the Centers for Disease Control identified last week as the likely culprit in the E. coli outbreak that has sickened 19 people in seven states. The same celery from Taylor Farms Pacific was used in Costco chicken salad eaten by 14 of those who fell ill.
On Thursday, Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled products that may include the celery, including snack trays and salads sold at 7-Eleven and large grocery chains including Safeway, Kroger, Walmart and Target.
According to the CDC, the strain of E. coli 0157:H7 is particularly virulent. Most of those ill are in Western states, and five have been hospitalized. Two have developed a type of kidney failure, but no deaths have been reported.
Starbucks officials told Bloomberg that the company has received no reports of illness tied to the sandwiches that were recalled.
The strain of E. coli linked to the celery is different from the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli 026 strain that has been implicated in an outbreak involving Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has sickened 45 people in six states. Health officials have not yet identified the specific ingredient that may have been the source of that outbreak.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
