Walnuts recalled as E. coli hospitalizes 7: Which Washington stores sold them?

Organic walnuts are being recalled across several states after 12 people have been infected with E. coli. Seven people have been hospitalized and two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the outbreaks have been found in two states — Washington and California.

However, the walnuts were also sold in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

The walnuts were sold in 52 stores in Washington, mainly in Seattle and Spokane. But also in Anacortes, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Burien, Chelan, Colville, Eastsound, Edmonds, Ellensburg, Ephrata, Everett, Fife, Freeland, Issaquah, Kirkland, Langley, Leavenworth, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon, Olympia, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Redmond, Richland, Ridgefield, Tacoma, Twisp, Vancouver, Vashon, and Yakima.

Customers could have bought E. coli-infected walnuts from various PCC Community Markets, food co-ops, natural markets or other organic-friendly grocery stores.

The CDC reported the walnuts were sold in bulk bins with expiration dates between May 21, 2025, and June 7, 2025. The walnuts could have also been repackaged into plastic clamshells or bags.

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To see a full list of stores where the walnuts were sold, visit this PDF from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If you think you purchased the walnuts, the CDC says to wash any items or surfaces that may have touched them with hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) says to stop eating and throw out any walnuts, including those stored in your refrigerator or freezer.

“If you can’t tell if your walnuts are part of the recall, it’s safer not to eat them,” stated the DOH in a news release on Tuesday.

If you experience these symptoms of E. coli infection, call a healthcare provider:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving.
• Bloody diarrhea.
• So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down.
• Signs of dehydration, such as: not peeing much, dry mouth and throat or feeling dizzy when standing up.

The CDC tells businesses to check if they received Gibson Farms, Inc. organic walnut halves and pieces with lot codes 3325-043 and 3341-501.

Businesses should throw out the contents of the bins and clean and sanitize the bins before refilling them. They should also wash anything that came in contact with the walnuts. The CDC also recommends putting signs up or notifying customers of the outbreak.

According to the CDC, people will get symptoms three to four days after swallowing the bacteria and recover without treatment after five to seven days.

For more food safety tips, visit the DOH’s website.

Editors’ note: This story was originally published on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.