Walmart Shoppers Need To Know About This Organic Zucchini Recall

Zucchini lovers might want to reconsider whipping up a plate of zoodles or loaf of zucchini bread this week, as a new potential nationwide salmonella outbreak has been linked to the summer squash.

In a statement posted to U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website, World Variety Produce Inc. announced a multi-state recall of fresh organic zucchini supplied to Walmart stores over concerns of a potential bacterial outbreak.

According to the brand, the recall was initiated after a routine FDA test of a random sampling found that one lot of organic zucchini tested positive for salmonella. Infections caused by this harmful form of bacteria commonly result in fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps — but can, in rare cases, lead to more serious health implications, including severe long-term illnesses and death (via CDC).

The impacted zucchini, which is sold under the superstore's Organic Marketside brand, was distributed to select Walmart retail locations in 18 states including Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

World Variety Produce, which also operates under the brand name Melissa's Produce, is a wide-scale distributor of produce and grocery products, supplying food service operators, grocers, and supermarkets — including Walmart — with more than 800 varieties of produce from around the globe (via Dun & Bradstreet). Despite the company's wide reach, as of now, the zucchini recall is only tied to a single lot of vegetables distributed to Walmart retail stores.

According to the recall announcement, the affected product, two-count packs of Organic Marketside brand zucchini, is packaged in a clear overwrap tray. The UPC code of the impacted vegetables is 6-81131-22105-4 and the case lot number is 38706503. A full list of every store in which the recalled zucchini was stocked can be found on the Walmart website. 

All customers in possession of the impacted zucchini are urged to destroy and dispose of the recalled product immediately. As of now, no illnesses tied to the zucchini recall have been reported.