Ready Pac Foods, Inc. Announces Voluntary Product Recall – bagged Baby Spinach

Products affected: California, Washington & Arizona 6 oz. bagged Baby Spinach with Use by dates of July 4 & July 8.

See complete Press Release here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 07, 2010 – Ready Pac Foods, Inc. Irwindale, CA is recalling 702 cases of the Baby Spinach variety of Spinach Temptations 6 oz. bagged salads with Use by Dates of July 4 with Product Code 11707B, IR127121 and July 8 with Product Code 12007B, IR130373 because they could be contaminated by Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (Ecoli 0157.H7). The recall extends only to products with this Use-by Date or Product Code sold in the following states: California, Washington and Arizona. No other Ready Pac Foods, Inc. products are included in the recall.

No illnesses related to these products have been reported.

Ready Pac is collaborating closely with the FDA. The recall notification is being issued out of an abundance of caution based on a confirmed positive result for Ecoli 0157:H7 in a random sample test conducted by the FDA.

Ecoli 0157:H7 is an organism that may cause diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Because it is still possible that products bearing the Use-by Dates of July 4 and July 8 with the above Products Codes could be on store shelves, this recall extends to retailers as well as consumers. Ready Pac believes that it is important to alert consumers and retailers who might still possess one of the potentially affected salads to dispose of it immediately.

Ready Pac Foods, Inc. has earned an outstanding safety record for over 40 years and has taken immediate precautionary measures to protect public health by issuing this voluntary recall and removing product from the market. We have notified all of our retail customers who have received the product in question and directed them to remove it from their shelves.

Instructions for Consumers:

Check your refrigerator for Ready Pac Baby Spinach, Spinach Temptations 6 oz. bagged salads with the Use-by Dates of July 4 and July 8 with the above Products Codes. The Use-by Dates are found in the upper left hand corner of the package with the Product Codes located immediately underneath.

Consumers who may have purchased the affected product are asked to record the Use-by Date and Product Code, immediately dispose of the product, and contact the Ready Pac Consumer Affairs representative, toll-free at (800) 8007822, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) to obtain a full refund.

Complete Listing of Recalled Ready Pac Spinach Salad Products, Use-by Dates and Product Codes as follows:
Ready Pac Baby Spinach, Spinach Temptations 6 oz bagged salads (UPC Code 77745 20676) with the
following Product Codes and Use-by Dates: