WASHINGTON (AP) - Certain packaged and bulk containers of in-shell hazelnuts and mixed nuts made by DeFranco & Sons of Los Angeles have been recalled because they could contain E. coli bacteria.
Seven cases of E. coli infection, possibly linked to the nuts, have been reported in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The nuts were sold by retailers nationwide and in Canada in November and December. No E. coli has been detected in the products but the suspicion it may exist prompted the recall.
Symptoms of E. coli infection may include abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Most victims recover within a week; however, some may develop complications requiring hospitalization. Young children and the elderly are at most risk of a potentially life-threatening complication that can include kidney failure.
The hazelnuts affected by the recall were sold under the brand names Sunripe, George Packing, Firestone Farms, and Northwest Hazelnut, in a variety of packages as small as one pound. Fifty-pound bags of hazelnuts, and mixed nuts with hazelnuts, may have been repacked or sold from bulk containers to consumers.
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