UPDATE: November 30, 2015 at 4:16 p.m.

According to the Associated Press, federal officials have discovered the source of Costco's recent E. Coli outbreak. The strain, which was found in the chain's popular rotisserie chicken salad, reportedly stems from a mixture of onions and celery present in the salad. 

The produce mixture was sold by California wholesaler Taylor Farms Pacific Inc., a company that also services a number of other stores including 7-Eleven, Safeway, Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, and Starbucks. In light of this discovery, Taylor Farms Pacific Inc. has recalled all products containing the mixture, which include Thai-style salads, packaged dinners, and wraps. 

UPDATE: November 25, 2015 at 9:35 a.m.

There are now reported cases of E. coli linked to the Costco chicken salad in seven states. According to NBC News, 19 people have fallen ill due to E. coli infection.

"Five ill people have been hospitalized, and two have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report.

NBC News stressed this outbreak was a different strain of E coli from the one that closed more than 40 Chipotle locations in the Northwest.  

ORIGINAL POST

As if the Chipotle E. coli situation wasn't depressing enough...now Costco stores in four states have been advised to pull chicken salad (that's made with its rotisserie chicken) from shelves because of the possibility of the same bacteria. The timing couldn't be worse, as holiday chefs and shoppers are currently pouring into the warehouse store. 

According to a statement released by the Colorado Department of Public Health, the CDC has confirmed E. coli cases linked to the salad in Colorado, Utah, Montana and Washington. The department warned that any consumers who purchased "Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken" (item number 37719) in Colorado (and we'd wager the other three states) should discard it.

The CDPHE reports that four cases of E. coli O157:H7 have been confirmed in Colorado. One individual was hospitalized, but all affected individuals in Colorado have recovered. Food Safety News states that there was at least one confirmed case in Washington, around the Seattle area and the product has been removed from stores in that state as well.

The department noted that The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and CDC are all working to determine the source of contamination. Costco is cooperating with the investigation.

H/T Time, Food Safety News

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