2 Million Pounds of Food Recalled

This has been a big week for food product recalls and the risk of food borne illness.

Seven confirmed and three likely cases of E. coli infection linked to raw clover sprouts have been reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The patients are all in either Idaho or Washington. Half the people who have fallen ill have been hospitalized.

Preliminary investigations indicate the likely source of this outbreak are raw clover sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Idaho, the CDC said. The state departments of health in Washington and Idaho are telling consumers not to eat raw clover sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts.

Meanwhile, hummus and dip products totaling about 14,860 pounds are being voluntarily recalled by Lansal Inc. amid concerns about possible bacterial contamination.

At the same time, Sherman Produce is recalling some bulk and packaged walnuts sold to retailers in Missouri and Illinois.

These two recalls are precautionary measures against possible Listeria monocytogenes, which may cause serious and even fatal infections in people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with either recall, the respective companies said.

Both companies advise consumers who bought the recalled products to throw them out or return them for a full refund. The products should not be eaten.

Also this week, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products were being recalledbecause they could be contaminated with a strain of E.coli.

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