Trader Joe’s Chicken Wraps Linked to E. Coli Outbreak

Two women are suing Trader Joe’s in federal court after saying they were hospitalized with E. coli infections following meals of the same product: the chain’s Tarragon Chicken Salad Wrap. Their lawsuit, filed October 15 by the food safety law firm Marler Clark in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, names Trader Joe’s Company as defendant and ties their illnesses to a multistate outbreak that has now sickened at least 50 people.

The fact that a lawsuit is how the public learned the product’s name is itself part of the story.

What Happened to the Plaintiffs

Gayle Gottlieb of Pembroke, North Carolina, bought three Tarragon Chicken Salad Wraps at the Trader Joe’s in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on August 23. She ate the first one on August 27 and was in the emergency department by August 30. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services classified her illness as part of the multistate outbreak and recorded “wrap from Trader Joe’s” as the reported source of exposure.

Meaghan Bright of Somerville, Massachusetts, bought her wrap at the Trader Joe’s in Allston on August 24 and ate it that day. She was hospitalized for a week with nausea, vomiting, and severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Her attorneys say she was diagnosed with a serious form of E. coli that can cause kidney damage. She described it as the worst physical pain she’d ever experienced.

Both women are seeking unspecified damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

What Trader Joe’s Knew — and When

Here’s where the story gets sharper. According to reporting following the lawsuit’s filing, the FDA notified Trader Joe’s in September of a “possible issue” with the Tarragon Chicken Salad Wraps. The company pulled the product from shelves in nine states — Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, and others — after receiving that notification.

But neither Trader Joe’s nor the FDA publicly named the product at the time. The federal outbreak investigation had been open since September 23, tracking E. coli O157:H7 cases tied to a “multi-ingredient wrap with chicken (suspect).” No brand was identified. By October 15, when Marler Clark filed the lawsuit, 50 people had been sickened and the implicated product still hadn’t been publicly named by any government agency.

On October 23, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service finally confirmed what the lawsuit had already established: Trader Joe’s Tarragon Chicken Salad Wraps are the source of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak.

“Trader Joe’s knows who made these wraps, what went into them, which stores received them and when they came off the shelves,” said attorney Ilana Korchia of Marler Clark. She added that she expects discovery in the lawsuit to eventually make that information public. The wraps were reportedly made by Glass Onion Catering of Richmond, California, and sold at Trader Joe’s along with several other retailers.

What E. Coli O157:H7 Does

This is the more serious strain. E. coli O157:H7 is a Shiga toxin-producing variety capable of causing severe, sometimes bloody diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting — and in a smaller percentage of cases, a potentially life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes kidney failure. It’s the strain responsible for some of the most serious foodborne illness outbreaks in recent decades, particularly affecting young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.

If You Have These Wraps

Do not eat them. The Tarragon Chicken Salad Wrap has been pulled from Trader Joe’s shelves in affected states. If you’ve consumed this product recently and experience severe stomach cramping, diarrhea — especially bloody diarrhea — or are producing very little urine, seek medical attention promptly and mention the possible E. coli exposure. Early treatment matters with this strain.

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