UPDATED: Lettuce Recall now includes Aussie Farmers Direct, Lite n Easy, 7-Eleven, Coles and Woolworths Amid Salmonella Risk

Consumers have been issued with a Lettuce Recall by Victoria’s Department of Health and warned not to eat pre-packaged lettuce from the Victorian-based Tripod Farmers company, after a higher-than-usual number of salmonella cases. 

So far this year there’s been a reported 28 salmonella cases, with the lettuce being the common source.

The Tripod Farmers brand lettuce packs are sold at Woolworth and Coles in pre-packaged salad mixes and sold in NSW, VIC, NT, ACT, SA and QLD.  So far as it’s been reported WA & TAS are not affected.

UPDATE 5/2/16:

Lite n Easy have recalled three of their salads after concerns they could contain the affected lettuce.  The meals affected are the caesar salad with chicken and smokehouse ham, beef rissoles with walnut and apple coleslaw, sliced chicken breast with salad and mayonnaise on a grain roll, and Thai salad with sliced chicken breast, hoisin dressing and roasted peanuts.

Further, 7-Eleven have also recalled sandwiches considered to contain the recalled lettuce.

Aussie Farmers Direct have also recalled some of their lettuce packs (Sold everywhere except into SA & WA):

• Wash N Toss Baby Cos 100g– with Use-By dates up to and including 14th February
• Wash N Toss Baby Spinach 100G – with Use-By dates up to and including 14th February
• Wash N Toss Salad Mix 100G – with Use-By dates up to and including 14th February
• Wash N Toss Wild Rocket 100G – with Use-By dates up to and including 14th February
• Pre-packaged Baby Cos 180g – with Use-By dates up to and including the 14th February
• Pre-packaged Baby Spinach 180g – with Use-By dates up to and including the 14th February
• Pre-packaged Wild Rocket 180g – with Use-By dates up to and including the 14th February
• Supa Salad Supa Mix 180g – with Use-By date up to and including the 14th February

Of the products recalled from Coles and Woolworths, the products include:

• Woolworths Baby Spinach 100g
• Woolworths Baby Rocket 100g
• Woolworths Gourmet Mix 100g
• Wash N Toss Watercress 100g
• Wash N Toss Sorrel  50g
• Wash N Toss Baby Cos  100g
• Wash N Toss Baby Spinach  100g
• Wash N Toss Salad Mix  100g
• Wash N Toss Wild Rocket 100g
• Wash N Toss Kale  100g
• Coles Australian Baby Spinach 60g
• Coles Australian Baby Rocket 60g
• Coles Australian Baby Rocket 120g
• Coles Australian Spinach & Rocket  120g
• Coles Australian Baby Spinach 120g
• Coles Australian 4 Leaf Salad 120g
• Coles Australian 4 Leaf Salad 200g
• Supa Salad Supa salad 180g

Trade recall only for the following products:

• Supa Salad Supamix 1kg
• Supa Salad AHL Mix  1kg
• Clear Film Spinach 1kg
• Clear Film Rocket 1kg
• Clear Film Baby Cos 1kg
• Clear Film Baby Leaf 1kg
• Clear Film Green Coral 180g
• Clear Film Spinach 180g

Recalls are for products with the Best Before dates up to and including February 14th.

Consumers who have purchased any of the above affected products should either return them to the place of purchase or throw them out.

“Normally we only see a handful of cases of this strain each year, but so far this year there have been 28 adult cases of salmonella anatum – mostly adults – notified to the department,”  Said Dr Finn Romanes, Dept of Health and Human Services Senior Medical Advisor.

“As a result of following up the food histories of a number of people we have discovered a common source – the Tripod Farmers lettuce.  Tests of three products from two batches have also tested positive for Salmonella anatum bacterium.”

Symptoms of salmonellosis usually occur between 6 to 72 hours after the bacteria is ingested. The most common symptoms include: diarrohoea, which may contain blood or mucous; fever; headache; stomach cramps; nausea; vomiting, and dehydration, especially among infants and the elderly.

The department said an inspection of Tripod Farmers had been carried out and a “thorough clean” had taken place.