Federal agents issued a new recall for cauliflower and multiple varieties of lettuce grown by the same farm responsible for the romaine-fueled E. coli outbreak just two days ago—now, regional chain Wegmans has launched their own voluntary recall for multiple blends of cauliflower rice and pre-packaged cauliflower products due to E. coli concerns.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the products being recalled from Wegmans were sold in stores as recently as this week—between December 7 and December 18, to be exact. Wegmans' Cauliflower Rice, Veggie Cauliflower Rice Blend, and Stir-Fry Mix With Cauliflower products were sold at 98 different Wegmans stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia.
No illnesses have been reported as of yet, but the FDA doesn't make it clear if the cauliflower used in Wegmans' ready-to-eat products was sourced from Adam Bros. Farming, Inc, the grower that is currently cooperating with federal investigations to discover the source of the national E. coli outbreak.
"The recall was initiated by Produce Packaging, Inc. based in Cleveland, OH, which supplies these products to Wegmans and notified Wegmans that the product may have been contaminated," the FDA's statement reads.
Customers who bought the product using their Wegmans' loyalty card have already received automated phone calls from the grocer urging them to return the product to stores. Wegmans' customer service department is offering shoppers a full refund if they bring the cauliflower products back to their local store—or, at the very least, is asking them to dispose of it immediately.
We'll continue to monitor this recall and whether or not Adam Bros. Farm is implicated in further recalls from third-party suppliers. For more information on the current cauliflower recall, visit the FDA's official recall listing.