Major E. Coli Outbreak Spreads To Starbucks; 18 States Now Affected By Tainted Celery

The recent E. coli outbreak that began with a batch of tainted celery at Costco has spread to 18 states, where 155,000 of the offending food items have been recalled. As of now, 19 people in seven states, mostly in Western United States, have been sickened from the bacteria-infested vegetables.

So far, retail outlets have recalled the celery, which appeared in salad kits, vegetable trays, and prepared foods at Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Albertsons, 7-Eleven, Target, and Safeway locations across the country.Some of the affected items include an "Asian Chopped Round Toss Up Salad," "Cheesy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad," and celery stick trays. If you suspect that you might have tainted celery or vegetable platters in your fridge, the CDC is recommending that you dispose of them immediately.

Most recently, Starbucks has been added to the list of affected retail outlets, and had to throw out 45,000 holiday stuffing paninis in California, Nevada, and Oregon, which contained the contaminated celery.

Officials are continuing to investigate the outbreak, which marks the second major E. coli incident in the last month. Earlier in November, Chipotle had to close 50 store locations due to an E. coli scare.