A Jimmy John’s E. coli outbreak linked to clover sprouts has sickened customers in Iowa. A recall has been issued for the sprouts, produced by Sprouts Unlimited of Marion Iowa, which were also sold at Fareway and Hy Vee stores.
The food safety risk associated with raw sprouts is well-documented. Since 2000, sprouts have been linked to more than 40 food poisoning outbreaks that sickened more than 2,400 people resulting in 171 hospitalizations and three deaths. These outbreaks were caused by a variety of bacteria including Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli which grow well in the warm, humid environments usedfor growing sprouts.
This is the seventh time in the last 10 years that sprouts at Jimmy John’s have been linked to a food poisoning outbreak.
Sprout Outbreaks (Sproutbreaks) at Jimmy John’s
2019 Sprouts produced by Sprouts Unlimited and sold at grocery stores and Jimmy John’s restaurants in Iowa are linked to an E. coli outbreak.
2018 A three-state Salmonella outbreak that sickened 10 people was linked to sprouts served at Jimmy John’s.
2014 A five-state E. coli O103 outbreak sickened 19 people. Some of them ate the sprouts on Jimmy John’s sandwiches. Five people were hospitalized.
2012 An 11-state E.coli 026 outbreak sickened 29 people, seven were hospitalized. Some of them ate the sprouts on Jimmy John’s sandwiches.
2011 A Salmonella Newport outbreak sickened six people in Oregon and Washington.
2010 A Salmonella outbreak sickened 140 people in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Some of them ate the sprouts on Jimmy John’s sandwiches.
2009 A Salmonella outbreak sickened 235 people in 14 states. Some of them ate the sprouts on Jimmy John’s sandwiches.
Sprouts Temporarily Pulled from Jimmy John’s Menu
In 2012, after Jimmy John’s had been linked to its fourth sproutbreak in four years, the company’s founder, Jimmy John Liautaud, said he was pulling them from the menu permanently, but eight months later he announced sprouts were back on the menu. Eighteen months after that, clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s and other restaurants were linked to an E. coli O121 outbreak that sickened 19 people in five states.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that is sometimes bloody. These symptoms usually develop within one to three days of exposure and last about a week. Some people with E. coli infections develop a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure.
The E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Hageman represent clients nationwide who have sickened by contaminated food. If you would like to request a free consultation with our E. coli Team, call us at 1-888-377-8900, text us at 612-261-0856 or, fill out the form below.