A California-based supplier of organic foods said it is recalling walnuts sold in 19 states after it was notified of 12 recorded cases of E. coli.
Gibson Farms, of Hollister. Calif., voluntarily recalled its Organic Light Halves and Pieces shelled walnuts that were sold to distributors in California and Washington state, according to a company notice posted this week on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.
The specific strain of bacteria identified in the Gibson Farms recall announcement is E. coli 0157:H7, which the FDA notice said causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools, and in rare cases can lead to kidney failure.
A full investigation is underway to determine the source of the contamination, according to the FDA. Gibson Farms did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Bill Marler, a Seattle-based attorney who has focused on food-borne illness cases since 1993, told The Washington Post that he has been retained by the family of a 9-year-old boy in California who was hospitalized with acute kidney failure after eating the walnuts. A genetic sample linked the boy’s case to Gibson Farms, Marler said.
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“Fortunately he did not have to go on dialysis,” Marler said Thursday. “My hope is it’s not enough damage that he’s going to lose one of his kidneys.”
The recalled walnuts were sold in bulk boxes with net weight of 25 pounds, and can be identified by the lot numbers 3325-043 or 3341-501 with the expiration dates 5/21/25 and 6/7/25, according to a company announcement published by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA published a list of roughly 300 food retailers that received Gibson Farms walnuts, including dozens of independent organic food retailers as well as several large grocery stores.
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