Organic walnuts have been linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least six people in Washington and six in California, according to the Washington Department of Health.
The walnuts were supplied by Gibson Farms and sold across the state of Washington, including in many PCC Community Markets in Seattle.
They may have been sold in bulk bins, or they may have been repackaged in plastic clamshells or bags and sold. They have expiration dates between May 21, 2025, and June 7, 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Shoppers can ask stores where they purchased walnut halves and pieces if they are part of the Food and Drug Administration recall.
The complete list of stores that sold those walnuts can be found on the FDA’s website.
Recalled walnuts should be discarded.
Containers and any surfaces they touched should be washed with hot soapy water or in a dishwasher, the state Department of Health said.
E. coli bacteria can cause severe or even life-threatening infections, usually starting three or four days after eating contaminated food.
Symptoms include diarrhea (which is often bloody), severe abdominal pain and vomiting.
Most people get better in five to seven days, but children 5 years or younger are at higher risk of severe illness.
About 5 to 10% of people diagnosed with the E. coli infection develop the potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome.