E. Coli Confirmed In More Apple Juice

The presence of E. coli O157:H7 has been confirmed in a sample of unpasteurized Odwalla apple juice from a distribution plant south of Seattle, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The FDA will send samples of the contaminated juice to other laboratories for additional testing to determine if it is the same strain responsible for an outbreak of bacterial poisoning, said Matt Ashworth, a spokesman for the state Department of Health.

The sample that tested positive came from a 16-ounce bottle of juice from the company’s Tukwila distribution center. It had an Oct. 24 pull date and was taken from Lot 2FO.

“We don’t want people to focus on the pull date and lot number of this sample even though there is only one positive sample so far,” said Sue Hutchcroft, an FDA spokeswoman in Seattle.

“Consumers are again advised not to consume Odwalla unpasteurized apple juice, apple juice products, carrot juice or vegetable cocktail.”

So far, the Centers for Disease Control has confirmed 39 cases of E. coli infection linked to this outbreak - 19 in Washington state, four in Colorado, 10 in California and six in British Columbia.