Greens ‘still safe’ as 20 Victorians visit hospital after eating recalled spinach

Australians have been assured leafy greens still on supermarket shelves are safe after potentially contaminated spinach products were recalled, a peak industry body says.

AUSVEG on Sunday urged Australians to keep supporting vegetable growers, and said the recall of spinach products was limited to spinach from a single farm in Victoria.

A one kilogram tub of Riviera Farms baby spinach that has been recalled owing to contamination.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand, which warned some spinach products might be contaminated with “unsafe plant material”, was working through the supply chain to pinpoint any affected products yet to be identified, the industry body said.

“Given the affected products have originated from a single farm, and all affected products are being removed from shelves, Australian consumers can be confident in other spinach and leafy salad products that are currently available for sale, which are unaffected by the recall,” AUSVEG chief executive Michael Coote said.

“We have spoken to growers who have experienced reduced orders and drops in sales, who are not even in the same state as the source of the recalled spinach, which is an avoidable situation that hurts the entire industry.”

Leafy salad and spinach growers have had a particularly tough year marred by increased production costs, floods and critical labour shortages, Coote said.

Growers were hopeful a busy and productive festive season would be a buoyant finish to “what has been the hardest year for vegetable producers in recent memory”.

“We urge consumers to support their local growers and continue to buy plenty of fresh salad products in the lead-up to the festive season and in the summer period, which will be in high supply and good value across Australia,” Coote said.

A child was among the Australians hospitalised following the recall of potentially contaminated spinach products, which had reached all states and territories except for Western Australia by Saturday.

In Victoria, 20 people have attended hospital emergency departments after consuming baby spinach.

There have been 11 possible cases in Queensland, including the hospitalised child, who has since been discharged.

In NSW, almost 90 people reported symptoms after eating baby spinach, and more than 30 had sought medical attention, NSW Health said on Sunday.

ACT Health was investigating a number of cases, while Victoria’s acting deputy chief health officer joined authorities in warning about the recall on Saturday.

The Victorian Department of Health is working with Agriculture Victoria, as well as other states, to investigate and resolve the issue.

Baby spinach products were removed from supermarket shelves across the country from Friday, with Food Standards warning they might have been contaminated with unsafe plant material.

The authority cautioned people who ate recalled products to watch for symptoms including delirium or confusion, hallucinations, dilated pupils, a rapid heartbeat, flushed face, blurred vision and a dry mouth and skin. People who experienced any symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.

A Victorian Department of Health spokesperson said: “People are advised not to consume certain products containing baby spinach following reported cases of food-related toxic reactions. These baby spinach products are not safe to consume and should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase for a refund.”

Anyone concerned about exposure to a baby spinach product should contact Victorian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 and those with severe symptoms should call triple zero.

The affected products are:

• Riviera Farms branded baby spinach
• Fresh Salad Co Fresh and Fast Stir Fry
• Woolworths Chicken Cobb Salad and Woolworths Chickpea Falafel Salad
• Coles Spinach 60g, 120g, 280g
• Coles Chef Blend Tender Leaf 150g
• Coles Baby Leaf Blend 300g
• Coles Kitchen Green Goddess Salad 250g, 300g
• Coles Kitchen Roast Pumpkin Fetta & Walnut Salad 265g
• Coles Kitchen Chicken BLT Salad Bowl 240g
• Coles Kitchen Smokey Mexican Salad 280g
• Coles Kitchens Egg And Spinach Pots 100g

With AAP

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