Salinas-based Fresh Express linked to cyclospora outbreak

A Salinas-based produce company has been linked to a multi-state outbreak of a parasitic illness found in wholesale bagged salad mixes.

The FDA says Fresh Express supplied bagged salad mixes tainted with cyclospora to McDonald’s franchises in the Midwest. Health authorities in two states reported at least 286 McDonald’s customers have gotten sick.

In a statement posted to the Fresh Express Facebook page, the company said the products recalled were packaged in clear plastic packs without the Fresh Express logo. They were not labeled for retail sale.

“At Fresh Express, our top priority is providing consumers with the highest quality and safest fresh lettuce and leafy greens products available,” the company wrote.

Fresh Express also added there is no clear understanding of where the contamination came from.