What is Grimmway Farms? Grower’s recalled carrots linked to E. coli outbreak

A California-based produce company is at the center of an ongoing recall after the grower announced its organic whole and baby carrots were potentially contaminated with E. coli.
Grimmway Farms, which claims to be a “global produce leader and one of the largest producers of carrots,” issued the recall on Saturday, according to a news release shared by the Bakersfield-headquartered company.
The carrots should “no longer be in grocery stores but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers,” the company said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the E. coli outbreak in multiple states is tied to select Grimmway Farms carrots, the agency said in a statement. One individual has died, 15 have been hospitalized, and 39 illnesses have been reported in connection to the outbreak, according to the CDC.
See map of cases:E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots leaves 1 dead, 15 hospitalized
“We take our role in ensuring the safety and quality of our products seriously,” Grimmway Farms President and CEO Jeff Huckaby said in the release. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we are conducting a thorough review of our growing, harvest, and processing practices. Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities.”
Here is what to know about Grimmway Farms and the recall.
Grimmway Farms’ says on its website the company was started in the 1960s by the Grimm brothers, who opened a roadside produce stand in Anaheim, California, where they sold corn to the local community.
By 1969, Rod and Bob Grimm incorporated their partnership and began doing business as Grimmway Farms, the company’s bio reads. In 1990, the popularity of the baby carrot disrupted the produce industry and became trendy for consumers who desired value-added vegetables and healthy snacking, according to the grower. From 1991 to 2001, the bio reads, Grimmway Farms acquired several brands to expand its carrot and produce empire.
With additional processing facilities now in Washington and Georgia, as of 2023, Grimmway Farms produces more than 135 seasonal and year-round products distributed worldwide, according to the grower. All of the company’s produce is now grown in the U.S. and distributed to distribution centers, not directly to stores, Dana Brennan, Grimmway’s vice president of external affairs and corporate responsibility, told USA TODAY in 2021.
The company has issued recalls previously, most recently in 2021 when select carrot products were possibly contaminated with salmonella. No illnesses were reported during this recall, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
“The recall was initiated as a result of a routine, internal company test,” Huckaby said in July 2021. “The health of our customers and the integrity of our products are our highest priorities, and we will continue to monitor and communicate as additional information is available.”
While the affected Grimmway Farms bagged organic baby and whole carrots are likely no longer being sold in stores, they could still be in peoples’ homes and refrigerators.
According to Grimmway Farms’ release, the recalled products were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada. The affected products include:
The recalled Grimmway Farms carrot brands include:
The recalled Grimmway Farms products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, which is a bacterium that can “cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people and those with a weakened immune system,” according to the CDC and California-based grower.
“Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems,” the CDC said.
Symptoms of E. coli infections include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting, according to the agency. The incubation period for E. coli in humans ranges from 24 hours to as long as 10 days, with the average incubation period being three to four days, the CDC said.
Grimmway Farms said it has notified customers who received the affected carrots directly from them and requested that they notify distributors of the recalled products. The implicated farms are out of production, and none of the recalled carrots have tested positive for E. coli, according to the company.