Glass Onion Catering Recalls 18,000 Pounds of Packaged Grilled Chicken Salads and Sandwich Wraps

Glass Onion Catering recently recalled 180,000 pounds of its packaged grilled chicken in California as three people were hospitalized due to E. coli infection, according to local reports from the website Q13Fox.com.

Various reports noted that all three individuals tested positive for the same strain of E. coli found in Ready-To-Eat salads purchased at Trader Joe's. All individuals involved were residents of Snohomish, Whatcom and King County.  The company has recalled products from Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington and also revealed plans to recall ham products too.

NBC notes that as many as 26 people in three different states have fallen ill due to the same E. coli strain this year, of which fifteen revealed they had eaten packaged food manufactured by the same company.

"The company announced that the products are being recalled in conjunction with other foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A full list of products being recalled will be available on FDA's website," USDA officials said, according to a recent statement.

At this time, the USDA has revealed that E. coli infections began to be reported in as early as October, linking many of the illnesses to chicken found in the salads. This is rather uncommon as E. coli is typically not found in chicken.

According to a CDC report, food-borne diseases are not uncommon. In fact, each year alone, as many as 48 million Americans fall sick from eating contaminated food. Common outbreaks include Salmonella in eggs or vegetables, E. coli in beef and Listeria in dairy products.

According to The Mayo Clinic, there are many strains of E. coli, but only a few trigger dangerous symptoms, including things like diarrhea. However, an infection from a source with E. Coli can spread from food and water or person-to-person contact. 

Click here to see a list of recalled products in the last 6 months.