Trader Joe’s recalls fresh basil after salmonella outbreak in 29 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Trader Joe’s has issued a recall of fresh basil sold to customers in 29 states and D.C. over a two-month period after federal investigators found a link between the herb and a multistate outbreak of salmonella.

The grocery chain has voluntarily removed the product from its shelves and is warning customers to throw away or turn into the store any 2.5-ounce plastic clamshell packages bearing a label reading Infinite Herbs Organic Basil if they purchased them between Feb. 1 and April 6. The potentially tainted goods were sold to customers in Washington, D.C., as well as Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it has detected an outbreak in which 12 people in seven states are reported to be infected with a strain of salmonella. In seven of the eight cases “with information available,” people said they had been exposed to the Trader Joe’s basil before becoming ill, regulators say. The CDC is warning customers who bought Trader Joe’s basil and removed it from its packaging or froze it to throw it away as a precaution. The federal health officials also ask anyone who might have been exposed to the herb to clean and sanitize surfaces that came into contact with it and to contact a health care provider if they became sick after eating the herbs.

The CDC’s investigation of the outbreak is ongoing, it said, aimed at determining the source of the contamination and whether any other products are affected.

A Trader Joe’s spokeswoman said in an email to The Washington Post that the company prioritizes safety and typically errs on the side of caution in recalling foods. “With more than five decades of experience working directly with the producers of our products, we stand by our proactive practices and continually improve our food safety processes,” she said. “We take these matters seriously - personally, even, as our families eat and drink TJ’s products, too.”

When a recall is issued, she said, the company takes steps to notify potentially affected people. “Our recall-related communications go well beyond regulatory requirements: We share news through in-store signs, on our website and through email alerts,” she said.

Salmonella infections can cause fever and gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea and intestinal cramps, that can last as long as a week. While most people will recover without treatment, it can be particularly dangerous to children under 5, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Infinite Herbs is a Miami-based supplier, the CDC says.

Last month, Trader Joe’s issued a recall of roasted cashews sold in 16 states after a Food and Drug Administration inspection of its supplier uncovered that a lot of nuts tested positive for salmonella. Also in March, more than 61,000 pounds of steamed chicken soup dumplings at the grocer were recalled for possibly containing hard plastic.