Phil Scott/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - A staple on picnic tables is off the shelves as Labor Day weekend begins.
Kroger began pulling one- and three-pound containers of Kroger brand "Mustard" and "Southern-Style" potato salads after routine testing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture detected E coli. The affected containers have a "best if used by" date of September 5.
The Cincinnati-based grocer sells the potato salad in 31 states, including Indiana. It launched a voluntary recall of the product this afternoon. They say most of the potato salad dated September 5th was sold by last week. An average of two or three containers were all that remained in 160 stores in Indiana and Illinois, including its Payless stores in Anderson, Pendleton and Muncie.
"If the pattern indicates, in terms of when these sell relative to their sell by dates, most of its already been eaten," Kroger spokesperson John Elliott said. "And we would know by now if there's any illness that results."
No illnesses have been reported, but doctors say picknickers this weekend should pay attention to what their tummies tell them.
Dr. Kari Lemme of St. Vincent Hospital says that those who may have consumed the potato salad be aware of "listless activity, or if they have bloody diarrhea, high fever, several abdominal pain, they might want to seek medical treatment."
If you have the Mustard or Southern-Style potato salads with the September 5 date, you can return them to any Kroger for a refund.
All other dates and kinds of Kroger potato salad are safe.
