BUFFALO, N.Y. - Rich Products Corp. has announced a voluntary recall of 192,222 pounds of its Farm Rich Mini Quesadillas and other Farm Rich products because of a possible E. coli contamination.
The recall of also includes the Buffalo, N.Y.-based company's Farm Rich Mini Pizza Slices, Farm Rich Philly Cheese Steaks, Farm Rich Mozzarella Bites and Market Day Mozzarella Bites. They were produced Nov. 12 through Nov. 19.
The Farm Rich products were distributed in retail stores nationwide. The company says it's working with the Food Safety Inspection Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to identify the possible contamination source.
The problem came to light after one person became ill and food samples were tested. Twenty four cases have now been reported in 15 states, the USDA said in a statement.
E. coli 0121, the strain implicated in the outbreak, is one of six known as non-0157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that were banned in 2011 from the U.S. meat supply. Testing for the six began last spring, a move that was opposed by the meat industry.
Like E. coli O157:H7, the six new strains are capable of producing bloody diarrheal illness that can lead to kidney failure and death. In 2010, for the first time, the non-O157 strains, were responsible for more infections in the U.S. than E. coli O157:H7, according to federal health officials.
Consumers with questions about the recall can call 1-888-220-5955.
The Associated Press and NBC News contributed to this report.
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