Two suppliers of Supermarket sandwiches and wraps recall products as a precaution after E.coli O145 (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli often referred to as STEC) outbreak reported cases rise to 211. These products are understood to contain salad leaves. 

The Greencore Group have recalled, as can be seen in the link to the Food Standards Agency  (FSA) website, 45 products with use by dates of between 15 & 16th June 2024.

Their products are sold in Supermarkets such as Asda, Aldi, Lidi, Boots, Sainsbury’s Amazon, the Co-op & Morrisons.

https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-30-2024

Samworth Brothers, Manton Wood, have recalled 15 products as can be seen in the link below, with use by dates of between 16 & 17th June 2024.

These products are sold in Tesco, OneStop and The Gym Kitchen

https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-31-2024

So far it is believed no E.coli bacterium have been detected in any of the products that have been recalled.  

If this outbreak has occurred due to salad, the last outbreak from such, appears to have been August in 2022. Although we are waiting for The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to publish their report into the 2022 outbreak, an Abstract from the unpublished report was shown at a conference on 22nd November 2023. This outbreak was from a different strain STEC O157.

Although STEC O145 has been known about since approximately 2010, it is relatively rare. However, as laboratory techniques improve, it Is likely that more unusual or rare strains will be identified.  They may have been present for years but we just weren’t aware of them.

The argument that it is very difficult to test produce for STEC O145 may be correct as commercially it would be expensive. However, the law in the UK puts the onus on the producer to make sure the food is safe before it is placed on the market.

Also, this raises the question as to whether retailers should be auditing their suppliers to ensure the food they purchase from them, is safe to sell to the public.