Parasite-infected salads, wraps may bring on sickness

Food sold at Kroger, Trader Joe’s and Walgreens, U.S. says.

Think about your lunches recently: Were they salads or wraps from Trader Joe’s, Kroger or Walgreens?

If so, the Agriculture Department has a warning for you.

Intestinal parasites that can cause severe and painful symptoms may have tainted beef, pork and poultry in certain salads and wrap products made between July 15 and 18 with sell-by dates of July 18 through 23, the agency said this week.

Food inspection officials are concerned that some of the products sold at Trader Joe’s, Kroger and Walgreens may still be in home refrigerators and have urged consumers to throw them or return them to stores.

Consumers may have already ingested the parasite, but it may still be incubating without producing symptoms, the USDA said. The agency provided a list (search www.fsis.usda.gov) of products by name and UPC code but not specific locations.

The Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite can cause illness that is not life-threatening, with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and fever, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns.

It is the same parasite responsible for a nationwide outbreak linked to McDonald’s salads last month, causing at least 286 confirmed illnesses in 11 states, the CDC said. The outbreak triggered recalls at thousands of stores.

The romaine lettuce used in some of the products in this new warning came from Fresh Express, which was linked to the McDonald’s outbreak.

Fresh Express could not be reached for comment.

The outer limit of the incubation period for this batch of food is Aug. 6, USDA said, and it could be up to six weeks before officials begin to receive reports of illness.

The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is not clear whether any illnesses have already been reported from ingesting products linked to the newest warning.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Wednesday that the positive samples from recalled McDonald’s salads were confirmed using a new method that helps the agency investigate and identify the cyclosporan parasite.

There has been a cascade of food-borne illnesses across the United States this year. The USDA on Wednesday warned about potential salmonella contamination in some products that use whey, including certain Ritz crackers and Goldfish products.

Salmonella illness outbreaks have been linked to raw turkey, pasta salad, Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal and pre-cut melon.

Romaine lettuce was determined to be contaminated with E. coli. Fresh crab meat from Venezuela was deemed a risk after Vibrio parahaemolyticus sickened a dozen people in three states and Washington.

The uptick may be a combination of more incidents and better detection methods, food safety attorney Bill Marler told The Post.