Dead bat in packaged Fresh Express salad sold at Walmart
Two people in Florida ate some of the salad before the bat was found.
The bat was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rabies lab for testing but its deteriorated condition meant the agency could not definitively rule out whether it had the disease.
Transmission of rabies by eating a rabid animal is extremely uncommon and the virus does not survive long outside of the infected animal.
“In this circumstance, the risk of rabies transmission is considered to be very low, but because it isn’t zero, the two people who ate salad from the package that contained the bat were recommended to begin post-exposure rabies treatment,” said the CDC.
“Both people report being in good health and neither has any signs of rabies. CDC is not aware of any other reports of bat material found in packaged salads. People who have eaten the recalled salad product and did not find animal material are not at risk and do not need to contact their health department.”
CDC recommended that anyone who ate the recalled salad and found animal material contact their health department for evaluation.
The affected item is 5 oz. Organic Marketside Spring Mix in a clear container with production code G089B19 and best-if-used-by date of APR 14, 2017 on the front label and UPC code 6 8113132897 5 on the bottom.
Recalled salads were distributed to Walmart stores in the Southeastern region of the US.
Fresh Express said it was notified that ‘extraneous animal matter’ was allegedly found in a single container and recalled all salads manufactured in the same production run.
No other Marketside salads are affected and Fresh Express salads are not subject to recall.
Walmart has removed the product from store shelves.
Fresh Express said it complies with food safety regulations including Good Agricultural Practices.
“In addition, a range of stringent controls are in place during growing and harvesting to mitigate against field material from entering the raw product system.
“In manufacturing, additional controls including thorough washing and filtration systems as well as visual inspections are designed to eliminate unwanted debris.”
