E. coli, also called Escherichia coli, carries the potential to make someone sick and can even result in hospitalization. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while E. coli can be harmless in some cases, some strands of the bacteria can cause food poisoning. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, as well as vomiting. While symptoms can appear a little to a day after exposure, you can start exhibiting symptoms as late as 10 days later.
If you’ve consumed any of the recalled batches of butternut squash, it’s important to monitor your health over the next week. Seek medical attention if you develop symptoms and they become severe. In particular, produce carries a risk of E. coli infection due to contamination either during or after harvest. For some produce, contaminated water is the likely cause of E. coli spreading.
Contrary to popular wisdom, washing your produce does not lessen your risk of ingesting E. coli, as it’s not a proven way of disinfecting the vegetables. Instead, if you want to be on the safe side, experts recommend roasting your butternut squash and other vegetables to lessen your risk of potential food poisoning. However, in the case of recalls like Costcos, it’s best just to throw the vegetables away.