Texas has been added to the list of states investigating an 18-patient outbreak of salmonella virchow infections linked to Garden of Life's Raw Meal Organic Shake and Meal Replacement Products.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven more people have been reported ill in six additional states including Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina and Rhode Island.
Cases of salmonella virchow have previously been reported in nine other states including Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee and New Jersey.
The CDC reports most states have only one reported case of infection, though Minnesota, New Jersey and Utah have two cases each.
Four people have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak; no deaths have been reported.
"Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products made by Garden of Life, LLC are the likely source of this outbreak, the CDC reported. "Of the 14 ill people who were interviewed, 14 (100 percent) reported consuming powdered supplements or meal replacement powders in the week before illness onset, and all 14 (100 percent) specifically reported consuming Garden of Life RAW Meal products."
The CDC reports the Utah Public Health Laboratory and Oklahoma Public Health Laboratory isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Virchow from open containers of Garden of Life RAW Meal collected from ill people's homes in Utah and Oklahoma.
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Additionally, FDA sampling confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Virchow in Organic Moringa Leaf powder used in RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products.
Garden of Life, LLC voluntarily recalled several lots of RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products, available in chocolate, original, vanilla, and vanilla chai, on Jan. 29, 2016 and Feb. 12, 2016.
A complete list of the recalled Garden of Life RAW Meal products can be seen here: FDA.gov. The FDA said Raw Meal is sold at better health food stores, natural grocers and online. Consumers who have a Raw Meal product affected by this recall should stop consuming the product and if they wish to return it, they should return the unused portion of the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.
