Salad Greens Recall Canceled

Update: Friday, May 12, 2023: The recall of lēf Farms “Spice” Packaged Salad Green has been canceled. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services determined that a laboratory error incorrectly caused last week’s recall of the salad greens, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The products from lēf Farms are safe and the recall initially issued on May 5 has been canceled. The original story reporting on the recall continues below.

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Salad lovers need to be extra cautious when they make their next meal, as a new recall has just hit the market. lēf Farms, a Loudon, New Hampshire-based company, has recalled its lēf Farms “Spice” Packaged Salad Greens due to potential E. coli contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Issued on May 4, the recall affects just a single lot of the lēf Farms “Spice” Packaged Salad Greens. The recalled product was sold in a 4-oz., clear, plastic clamshell container, with affected products having a best-by date of 5/5/23, lot number SP10723- 1RGH1, and UPC 8 50439 00709 1, all of which are located on the bottom of the packaging. The products were produced in lēf Farms’ Loudon greenhouse and are available for purchase at Hannaford and Market Basket in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. No other products are affected by the recall. Images of the recalled salad greens can be viewed by clicking here.

lēf Farms initiated the voluntary recall after “the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture received a positive test result for E. coli 0157:H7 in a single package of lēf Farms “Spice” Packaged Salad Greens (4 oz) as part of routine testing,” per the FDA. Escherichia coli, commonly abbreviated as E. coli, are bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. While some strains are harmless, others can make people sick, including E. coli O157:H7, which is the most common strain to cause illness in people, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Signs and symptoms of infection may appear within two to eight days after exposure to the organism and may include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Although most people recover within a week, some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Some people may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure.

Although no illnesses have been reported to date in connection to the recall, consumers are being urged not to eat the recalled salad greens. Recalled products should instead be discarded. Alternatively, consumers can also present a photo of the salad greens or receipt to their place of purchase for a full refund and then discard them. Amid the recall, lēf Farms “is proactively testing all products produced in its New Hampshire facility for E. coli 0157:H7 prior to distribution.” The company confirmed that retailers “have been instructed to remove all recalled products from store shelves.”