Fresh peaches sold at Aldi, Kroger, Target, Walmart and Wegmans have been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 78 people in 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, 33 people in Canada have become ill. No deaths have been reported.
The peaches were packed and distributed by Prima Wawona and the Wawona Packing Company. The company has realled organic and nonorganic peaches in bags sold from June 1 through Aug. 19 and loose sold from June 1 through August 3.
The company's peaches shipped to Canada and sold June 1 to August 22 have also been recalled.
Aldi says that the potentially contaminated peaches were sold at its stores in: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The nonorganic peaches sold at Aldi are labeled with the Wawona name, but the organic peaches aren't (see labels below). The lot numbers for the recalled peaches are:
• Aldi Wawona Peaches 2-pound bag UPC #033383322001
• Aldi Peaches Organic 2-pound bag UPC #849315000400
The recall at Target is nationwide. Although the peaches were also from Wawona, it's not clear how they were branded. The lot numbers are:
• Target Item # 267-03-4038, Peach per pound; UPC # 492670340386
• Target Item # 266-03-0010, Peach by the each; UPC # 204038000005
• Target Item # 266-03-0002, 2-pound peach bag; UPC # 033383322056
• Target Item # 267-50-4044, 2 lb organic peach; UPC # 849315000400
• Target Item # 267-03-4405, White Peach per pound UPC # 492670344056
Target didn't respond to CR's request for more specific information.
Bagged peaches were also recalled from Kroger, Walmart, Wegmans, and other retailers. Wegmans recalled baked goods made with peaches sold 8/16 through 8/21. And Russ Davis Wholesale is recalling salsas made with peaches.
The peaches were shipped to stores across the country (the Food and Drug Administration has a full list of states). Check for product codes on the bottom of the packages of the following brands:
• Wawona Peaches; product code 033383322001
• Wawona Organic Peaches; product code 849315000400
• Prima Peaches; product code 766342325903
• Organic Marketside Peaches; product code 849315000400
• Kroger Peaches; product code 011110181749
• Wegmans Peaches; product code 077890490488
In Canada, the brands recalled are:
•Extrafresh
•Harvest Sweet
•Prima
•Sweet2Eat
•Sweet O
•Sweet Value
•Wawona
•Wegmans
The FDA says it's still investigating how the peaches became contaminated.
How to Stay Safe
Fresh peaches supplied by other companies, as well as any frozen or canned peaches, aren't part of this recall. But the FDA says if you purchased any peaches from the stores involved since June 1 and you don't know who the supplier is, throw them away or return them to the store for a refund.
In addition to disposing of any fresh Wawona peaches you have on hand, check your freezer. "Many people freeze fresh fruit they've bought, either to reduce food waste or to use it in smoothies," says James E. Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports. If you're one of them and the peaches could be part of this recall, don't eat them. "Freezing doesn't kill salmonella," Rogers says.
Nor can you wash off salmonella or other bacteria that cause foodborne illness. "It's still a good idea to wash produce to remove dirt and even some pesticide residue, but washing doesn't make contaminated produce safe," Rogers says.
Salmonella symptoms—diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps—typically begin about six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days, according to the CDC. But some people don't develop symptoms for several weeks.
People under the age of 5 and over the age of 65 as well as anyone with a weakened immune system are at particular risk of getting sick and suffering from severe illness with salmonella. That's true too for anyone who regularly takes acid-reducing medication for their stomach, because that reduces the "good" bacteria in the body that can fight bad bacteria such as salmonella.
The Details
Products recalled: Bagged organic and nonorganic peaches sold under the Wawona, Prima, Organic Marketside, Kroger, and Wegmans brands, and loose and 2-pound bagged nonorganic, organic, and white peaches sold at Target.
The problem: The peaches may be contaminated with salmonella.
The fix: If you have any of these products, throw them out or return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.
How to contact the manufacturer: Call Prima Wawona at 1-877-722-7554, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, or visit its website at wawonapacking.com.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with new information on the brands of peaches and the retailers involved in this outbreak, recall and illnesses in Canada, and number of illnesses.
