Wegmans recalls cat grass: All you need to know amid Salmonella fears

American supermarket chain Wegmans has issued a voluntary recall on its cat grass and products containing micro greens and sweet pea leaves, due to a potential salmonella threat.

The brand announced the news on December 23 with the Food and Drug Administration to alert customers about faulty products sold at several market chain outlets in Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Mayo Clinic defines salmonella as a common bacterial disease that impacts a person's intestinal tract. The bacteria is found inside the animal and human intestines and is removed through feces. A person can get affected by it typically via contaminated food and water.

While some people get no symptoms, most people can get a fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea within mere hours of exposure to the bacteria.

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Wegmans states the recall is "out of an abundance of caution"

Following the recall announcement, Wegmans released a list of products along with other details of the affected products for the customers to be aware of.

Product	Size	UPC	Dates
Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard Cat Grass	1 EA	UPC 77890-50938	Sold since: 10/25/22
Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard Micro Greens	1.75 oz	UPC 77890-25036	Use by dates: 12/17/22 and 12/24/22
Wegmans Organic Baby Kale & Baby Spinach with Sweet Pea Leaves	5 oz	UPC 77890-52377	Use by date: 12/20/22

The market chain stated that they are recalling the affected products because the soil they were grown in tested positive for the presence of Salmonella by the supplier. The Wegmans Organic Farm was supplied the soil by Ithaca's bio365.

Wegmans also noted that no illnesses have been reported so far and the recall has been called into action due to an "abundance of caution." They are also making phone calls to customers who have purchased the affected products via Shoppers Club cards to alert them about the situation.

According to the statement, the chain is asking the customers to return the affected items to the service desk and get a full refund instead.

Customers who have issues regarding the recall can contact the chain's customer service at 1-855-934-3663 from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., and on the weekends from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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Founded in 1916, Wegmans is a private supermarket chain that first opened in Rochester, New York. Its current headquarters are based in Gates, New York.

The chain started operating as the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company before delving into several other products. In 2008, it discontinued the sale of tobacco products because of its adverse effects on human health and the environment.

The supermarket chain owns 110 stores across the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 and has been named as Fortune Magazine's one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ consecutively for 25 years in 2022. The chain is currently headed by Colleen Wegman.