Frozen falafel sold at Aldi, including stores in Florida, recalled after E. coli outbreak
Do you enjoy falafel, that savory Middle Eastern staple of deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas?
There’s something you may need to know.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to Earth Grown frozen falafel sold at Aldi stores — including two in Florida.
The FDA’s recall alert listed state counts but not store locations.
There have been 20 illnesses and five hospitalizations related to the consumption of the Earth Grown falafel brand purchased as of Oct. 7, according to the notice. The last illness was reported on Sept. 23.
Based on epidemiological information provided by CDC and interviews conducted by state and local public health officials, of 18 people interviewed, 15 reported shopping at Aldi stores. Among these 15 people who reported shopping at the Aldis, six reported eating Earth Grown brand frozen falafel that they bought at Aldi in the week before they got sick.
On Oct. 6, Cuisine Innovations, the manufacturer of Earth Grown frozen falafel, voluntarily recalled its packages. Recalled products include Earth Grown vegan traditional falafel and garlic and herb falafel distributed and sold exclusively by Aldi.
The stores pulled Earth Grown frozen falafel from its shelves, according to the FDA.
Where was the falafel sold?
According to the FDA, these states had cases: Florida had two, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan and Ohio had one apiece and Wisconsin had four.
The Earth Grown frozen falafel packages were distributed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New England, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
What you should do
If you bought the recalled Earth Grown Traditional Falafel or Garlic & Herb Falafel sold exclusively by Aldi after June 24, 2021, toss it or return to the store for a refund.
While these packages are no longer on sale they were frozen and, thus, have a long shelf-life of 18 months so it’s conceivable you may still have some in your freezer. Don’t eat them.
If you ate some of the falafel and feel symptoms let your health care provider know. You can also report problems by calling the FDA consumer complaint coordinator in your state. In Florida, the number is 866-337-6272.
OUTBREAK: @US_FDA is investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121:H19 infections linked to Earth Grown frozen falafel. Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled products https://t.co/HkrqWHo2Im
— FDA FOOD (Ctr for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition) (@FDAfood) October 7, 2022
Why is E. coli a problem?
E. coli is a common bacteria living in your intestines that can contribute to intestinal health. But when consumed it can cause potentially fatal illnesses, according to the CDC.
E. coli is usually spread to foods or drinks when feces comes into contact with the products.
Symptoms of E. coli contamination include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, nausea and vomiting.
Children under the 5, adults older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems are more at risk to develop severe illness from E. coli infections, according to the CDC.
