Salmonella in dried coconut sickens 13 in eight US states
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested dried coconut and confirmed Salmonella Typhimurium in two products at retail are a match to the outbreak strain.
The agency found the outbreak strain in an unopened sample of Natural Grocers Coconut Smiles Organic collected from Natural Grocers and in an opened, leftover sample of Natural Grocers Coconut Smiles Organic from an ill person’s home.
It identified S. Typhimurium in samples of International Harvest Brand Organic Go Smile! Dried Coconut Raw and Go Smiles Dried Coconut Raw.
Three people hospitalised
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said three people have been hospitalised.
Illness dates range from 22 September 2017 to 26 February, are from one to 73 years and 67% are female.
Ill people reported multiple foods in common, so FDA and state officials collected and tested such samples, including dried coconut.
Seven of eight people interviewed ate dried coconut from grocery stores.
Of these seven people, four purchased the product at different Natural Grocers store locations.
Recalls of dried coconut
International Harvest recalled 14,620 lbs. of bulk and 24,270 bags of Organic Go Smile! Raw Coconut.
The firm said it was cooperating with FDA to determine root cause of the problem and advised retailers that had sold bulk product to clean and sanitize containers used to hold it.
Organic Go Smile! Raw Coconut was sold online and in stores in 9-ounce bags with sell-by dates from 1 January 2018 to 1 March 2019.
Bulk Go Smiles Dried Coconut Raw was sold in a 25-pound case with batch/lot numbers OCSM-0010, OCSM-0011 and OCSM-0014 in various grocery stores.
Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc. recalled Natural Grocers Coconut Smiles Organic with packed-on numbers lower than 18-075. Recalled Natural Grocers Coconut Smiles Organic were sold in 10-ounce clear plastic bags with the Natural Grocers label.
It was distributed to 145 Natural Grocers stores in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Production has been suspended while FDA and the company investigate the source of the problem.
Illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after infection.
Last month, CDC and FDA closed an investigation into shredded coconut that sickened 27 people in nine states.
Outbreak strains of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:- and Salmonella Newport were linked to Coconut Tree Brand frozen Shredded Coconut distributed by Evershing International Trading Company.
Illness dates ranged from 9 January to 4 November 2017 and six people were hospitalised.
